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: Apr 23, 2026
On [XXX] at or about [XXX]., I was traveling on the highway while going up hill to pass a slow moving vehicle, in the passing lane, suddenly lost total acceleration in which a wrench light appeared as if the transmission disengaged. I was able to coast to the into the driving lane, to get to the shoulder of the road in which the transmission engaged back at about 10mph. I was able to continue slow... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
I own a 2020 Tahoe, 160,000 miles. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of brake assist due to a failure of the vacuum brake pump. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and the vehicle would not slow or stop as expected, requiring me to put vehicle in neutral and frantically find a way to the shoulder to force a stop (pulling the emergency brake). This created a dangerous condit... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
While driving at a low speed (approx. 5–10 mph), the front passenger-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural shear without warning. This caused the wheel assembly to collapse outward and the CV axle to pull out of the transmission. The failure caused a complete loss of steering control, veering the vehicle into a curb. Physical evidence (outward axle pull and high-side rim scrat... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
A lifter has failed on the driver side of the engine. Dealer is going to replace the bad lifter, but I’m worried about all the metal debris that has been put into the motor, especially after the recall for the bad crankshaft bearings that could cause it to lock up at any time. There was no warnings or check engine light if they’re just had a very bad tick all of a sudden
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Air Bag light is constantly on. So the diagnosis was air bag sensor is not working. so the air bags will not deploy in an accident
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
I am reporting a safety-related issue with the front radar sensor on my Honda CR-V 2026. The sensor is mounted in a location that appears to be easily accessible and insufficiently secured, making it highly vulnerable to theft. My vehicle was recently targeted, and the sensor was removed, resulting in loss of critical driver-assistance features such as collision mitigation braking and adaptive cru... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
2018 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV subject to Safety Recall 73B (NHTSA 24V-536) for HV battery fire risk. Following the recall repair at Fremont CDJR (Newark, CA) in January-February 2025, this vehicle has experienced systematic cascading hybrid drivetrain failures across 5 repair visits totaling 57 days out of service: (1) CAN bus star connector failure — 10 modules with fault codes U0103/U0001; (2) H... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
When driving My Vehicle, 4 and 5 gear shift very jerky and harsh and sometimes seem to slip. Multiple times now I have had it go to shift into 4 gear to then drop in neutral and stop taking throttle causing me to suddenly stop going forward. Many times when trying to cross an intersection or go from a stop light I have a missed shift in those gears causing a high chance of injury from b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
On [XXX], the check engine light illuminated. No other warning indicators activated — no low oil pressure warning, no low oil level warning, no driver alert of any kind regarding engine condition. On [XXX], at approximately 53,845 miles, the vehicle began running rough. I checked the engine oil and found the dipstick registered empty — no measurable oil in the engine. No low oil level or low ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
At a slow speed the car lurched, paused, in traffic. The engine light is on. It could be dangerous.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
The car will all of a sudden have light started flashing and then it will stop going.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Headliner rattles since new
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
Vehicle has ongoing and recurring electrical and engine-related defects that affect safe operation. The primary systems involved are the electrical system, engine ignition system, and powertrain. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Prior service records show issues beginning in 2020 involving repeated electronic system failures requiring multiple repairs and component replacemen... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. While the vehicle was parked, the rear hatch unexpectedly opened and struck a building, causing the taillight to crack and leaving scratches and a crack on the bumper. Additionally, the contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift to drive or reverse while attempting to drive into a driveway. The vehicle was turned off and restarted five times befo... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was associated with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission might lock and that the vehicle was not safe to driv... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
My car was not operating effectively and was displaying many dash lights. I brought it to the local Audi dealership and they kept it for several days - they did a software update but most of the dash lights stayed on. They did an investigation and diagnostic review and they told me that the passenger seatbelt igniter needs replacement and that i could not safely transport passengers in my vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
On April 17 2026 while driving my 2022 Acura MDX at very low speed in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward without warning and surged into bushes before I could stop it. I did not mistake the gas for the brake pedal. This felt like a sudden unintended acceleration event. I was preparing to park in a stall and the vehicle lunged forward unexpectedly. I applied the brake, but t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
On April 17 2026 while driving my 2022 Acura MDX at very low speed in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward without warning and surged into bushes before I could stop it. I did not mistake the gas for the brake pedal. This felt like a sudden unintended acceleration event. I was preparing to park in a stall and the vehicle lunged forward unexpectedly. I applied the brake, but t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
I lease a 2025 Kia Telluride. This vehicle has experienced three serious safety failures around the one year mark, all with young children in the car. Incident 1: accelerator failure and inability to shift gears approaching a freeway on-ramp — transmission was replaced. Incident 2: complete loss of steering control, brakes would not fully engage, and vehicle moved without accelerator input — d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
I lease a 2025 Kia Telluride. This vehicle has experienced three serious safety failures around the one year mark, all with young children in the car. Incident 1: accelerator failure and inability to shift gears approaching a freeway on-ramp — transmission was replaced. Incident 2: complete loss of steering control, brakes would not fully engage, and vehicle moved without accelerator input — d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
For the second time the service high voltage system warning has came on first time it was updated the dealership said now it’s back on again A/C not working properly
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
Issue 1: During snow conditions, the windshield wiper arms have detached from the linkage pivot on two separate occasions while in operation. This creates an immediate loss of visibility and a significant safety hazard while driving. In both instances, the detached wiper arm had to be retrieved and manually reinstalled. On one occasion, the arm could not be reinstalled in the field, leaving the ve... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
After vehicle acting like it isnt getting power and trying to die, I pulled into a gas station and turned it off. When I went to restart it, the vehicle kept turning over and over automatically not wanting to start and the engine light came on. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and tried again. It did same thing. I tried a 3rd time pushing the gas pedal and it finally started. I made it home 2... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
After vehicle acting like it isnt getting power and trying to die, I pulled into a gas station and turned it off. When I went to restart it, the vehicle kept turning over and over automatically not wanting to start and the engine light came on. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and tried again. It did same thing. I tried a 3rd time pushing the gas pedal and it finally started. I made it home 2... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Sometimes when I am backing up, the breaks will slam on. Back in 2025 first I noticed, but thought it was human error, just wasn’t sure. After it happened more than a couple of times in 2026, I realized it wasn’t me and must the safety warning system? I googled after it happened this month and (phantom breaking) popped up for the Chevy equinox. I Have an appt. With Chevrolet to check it out ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the message to take the vehicle to the dealer for service was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V668000 (Seats); 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 not exp... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The head unit quit working around 98k. The head unit is the radio, and screen which includes the back up camera. From what we have been told and find online, this is a known problem with them and affects other models as well. For the most part the head unit doesn't work but once in a while, once a month, it comes on but shows the Chevy logo on the screen which is odd because it is a GMC. Once you ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The head unit quit working around 98k. The head unit is the radio, and screen which includes the back up camera. From what we have been told and find online, this is a known problem with them and affects other models as well. For the most part the head unit doesn't work but once in a while, once a month, it comes on but shows the Chevy logo on the screen which is odd because it is a GMC. Once you ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
have a 2017 Kia Sportage and there is something unusual in the airbag compartment on the console in front of the front passenger seat. Although there are no apparent signs of damage or impact, it seems that the airbag has been partially deployed. After seeking input from multiple individuals, they all agreed that this is probably a manufacturing defect. Unfortunately, when I contacted Kia, they l... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
have a 2017 Kia Sportage and there is something unusual in the airbag compartment on the console in front of the front passenger seat. Although there are no apparent signs of damage or impact, it seems that the airbag has been partially deployed. After seeking input from multiple individuals, they all agreed that this is probably a manufacturing defect. Unfortunately, when I contacted Kia, they l... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
Having reviewed online your safety recall number N252536750, I am experiencing the same issue (right rear wheel occasionally locks when starting from a standstill and turning right). It only lasts about 1 or 2 seconds while accelerating. However, when I discussed this with my Chevrolet Dealer, I was told that according to the VIN for my 2022 Suburban 3.0L Diesel, I am not part of that recall. I pl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
Having reviewed online your safety recall number N252536750, I am experiencing the same issue (right rear wheel occasionally locks when starting from a standstill and turning right). It only lasts about 1 or 2 seconds while accelerating. However, when I discussed this with my Chevrolet Dealer, I was told that according to the VIN for my 2022 Suburban 3.0L Diesel, I am not part of that recall. I pl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
CAR IS OVER HEATING AND ENGINE LIGHT ON. SAME ISSUES AS THE 2017 FORD FUSIONS RECALL BUT I WAS TOLD THE FIRE RISK FROM ENGINE COOLANT LEAKS AND ENGINE BLOCK HEATER FAILING DOES NOT COVER MY YEAR EVEN THOUGH THE ISSUES ARE COMPLETLY THE SAME.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
Intermittent 4wd servicing displaying with no error codes when diagnosed. Loss of acceleration when displayed. Additionally there is a small vapor leak that cannot be found and the
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
Intermittent 4wd servicing displaying with no error codes when diagnosed. Loss of acceleration when displayed. Additionally there is a small vapor leak that cannot be found and the
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
I was driving 70-75 mph on interstate XXX going south from [XXX] to [XXX] after picking up my friends. I had e-save mode on to save the battery for later and out of nowhere the car lost all power and would not accelerate. Some writing flashed across the screen telling me to pull over in the emergency lane and stop and then restart the Jeep in hybrid mode. I had to throw on my hazards and pray... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I was driving 70-75 mph on interstate XXX going south from [XXX] to [XXX] after picking up my friends. I had e-save mode on to save the battery for later and out of nowhere the car lost all power and would not accelerate. Some writing flashed across the screen telling me to pull over in the emergency lane and stop and then restart the Jeep in hybrid mode. I had to throw on my hazards and pray... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
I had my ABS Light and Brake light come on in August 2023. My cruise control and my brake controller would no longer work. Took it to a dealer for repairs and they diagnosed it as needing a ABS Contol Modular. It has been on back order since that time. I was first told 3 mo, then 6 mo. Etc. I visited the dealership last week and they told me the part will no longer be manufactured. I have a ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety issue involving my 2023 Hyundai Palisade that is currently unresolved and directly impacts the safety of my children and passengers. My vehicle is subject to an open safety recall (Recall 292 – ejection mitigation) for which there is currently no available remedy. In addition to this unresolved recall, I am experiencing an active failure of the seatbe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety issue involving my 2023 Hyundai Palisade that is currently unresolved and directly impacts the safety of my children and passengers. My vehicle is subject to an open safety recall (Recall 292 – ejection mitigation) for which there is currently no available remedy. In addition to this unresolved recall, I am experiencing an active failure of the seatbe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
My valve cover gasket started leaking enough to notice on the dipstick. Was losing about 3/4 of a quart in an oil change interval. After some research I’ve seen that this is a very common issue with the 2017 Crv LX 2.4l
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
dash board displays trailer not connected when it is then lights and brakes goes out and will not come back on. this happens every time I haul. I have to pull over on the side and disconnect and reconnect tailer and shut off the engine and restart to reset. sometimes this works most times not. Last time it happened at 12am doing 70mph on I 95 and almost caused a severe accident. I have called deal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
When starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was in park, it acted like the vehicle was in drive and surged forward. This is unsafe and needs to be addressed by Ford.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Vehicle began flashing check driver assistance for rear sensors repeatedly while traveling out of state on March 30th with an occasional flash of check AWD/4WD. On March 31st the vehicle flashed the warnings along with a variety of others flashing on the infotainment screen rapidly and shut off while driving. I was barely able to restart to get it safely into a parking lot before it shut down comp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Vehicle began flashing check driver assistance for rear sensors repeatedly while traveling out of state on March 30th with an occasional flash of check AWD/4WD. On March 31st the vehicle flashed the warnings along with a variety of others flashing on the infotainment screen rapidly and shut off while driving. I was barely able to restart to get it safely into a parking lot before it shut down comp... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The power steering randomly goes out while driving then resumes working fine after turning off and back on. Sometimes minutes apart it reoccurs other times its days apart. Issue seems same as the recall for 2015 models.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days lat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
Steering has become hard and pulsates at times. Feels unsafe when turning at intersections. Steering issue is unpredictable and dangerous. (many other RAM 1500 drivers seem to have this issue per RAM forums). Fix is to replace entire rack and pinion system which is not acceptable. This is something that should last life of the vehicle. ~$4,000 fix is very hard to swallow.