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: Mar 20, 2026
Park to shift issue - the vehicle did not register that I was in park, jerked hard when trying to place in gear, did not register the PROPER gear (reverse, neutral, drive), would NOT unlock doors to let passengers out even if it were an emergency. Seems to be triggered on inclines but have also been having issues on flat ground. Other Acadia's apparently have a recall for this issue but my VIN doe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Sunroof shattered while driving, no impact from outside.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and opened a case. The a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
I own a 2003 Toyota Tundra (VIN: [XXX] ) that was subject to Toyota’s frame corrosion recall (Limited Service Campaign A0F). The vehicle was inspected by Toyota in January 2011 and confirmed to have no perforation. In March 2012, Toyota applied a corrosion-resistant compound as part of the recall remedy. Despite this, by May 2013, a structural component (spare tire carrier) failed due to sever... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
On August 10th 2025 I was driving down the 5 freeway to the airports All of a sudden I notice my check engine light is on. It was Sunday Chevrolet is closed so I got off the exit to go to auto zone in XXX. I stop at a red light my engine shuts off. I tried to turn it back on twice and it starts to smoke where the battery is. I have it towed to Chevrolet Fairfield. Where they figure out my ground w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Vehicle experienced a sudden rough shift followed up by hard shifting and transmission locking up rear wheels. If I was traveling at a higher rate of speed (over 30mph) a accident could've easily resulted. Check engine light and vehicle went into reduced acceleration mode after 3 to 4 severe shift occurances. Dealer has vehicle and found the valve body of transmission was faulty and will be replac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Clutch began to slip at 20,000 miles. This caused unrepairable damage to the flywheel. This put my safety at risk as clutches wearing out could cause the car to slip out of gear and/or damage the maneuverability of the vehicle. This problem was fixed by the dealer, but they blamed me for the damage and claimed clutch is a wear component. I was charged $3,000 for the clutch and an additional $2,0... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I am reporting a Failure of the Remedy for NHTSA Recall 23V634000 (Kia Recall SC281). The original recall attempted to "fix" a High-Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) issue via a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). This remedy has failed. My vehicle is currently experiencing the exact safety hazard described in the recall: loss of motive power and stalling at various speeds due to HPFP failur... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2025
My Nissan Sentra experienced unintended forward movement while Reverse was selected. After restarting the vehicle and shifting back into Park and then Reverse, the vehicle moved forward instead of backward, and the brake behavior became abnormal. This caused a minor collision. The condition has been reproducible, and I have video evidence documenting the issue. The vehicle is currently being held... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
very known issue of catastrophic failure to the oil pump, made in Italy with plastic component, used in my vehicle. The part has been updated to metal components on bmw side without any knowledge to the customers with same part number. Faulty xdrive tranfer case, wheel jerks on low speed turning. Currently in class action lawsuit.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
very known issue of catastrophic failure to the oil pump, made in Italy with plastic component, used in my vehicle. The part has been updated to metal components on bmw side without any knowledge to the customers with same part number. Faulty xdrive tranfer case, wheel jerks on low speed turning. Currently in class action lawsuit.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 BMW I3. The contact stated that while driving at 49 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal screeching sound and was leaning on the driver's side rear-end. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a rear-end inspection was performed, and the contact was informed that no failure was found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
Vehicle displayed a “power brake loss” on the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid instrument cluster upon trying to start it. After not being able to turn the vehicle on, I exited the vehicle to ensure my key fob was in my pocket. All electronics worked. After roughly 4 minutes of being in the car all power was loss - battery drained. Towing company that my Toyota Dealership Provides had a number out of... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
On March 27, 2026, I experienced a complete brake failure while driving a 2021 GMC Acadia in a school zone at approximately 3:00 PM. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. I attempted multiple times, including using the emergency brake, which did not activate immediately. The vehicle remained in motion for several minutes in an area with children and parents present. The em... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
On March 27, 2026, I experienced a complete brake failure while driving a 2021 GMC Acadia in a school zone at approximately 3:00 PM. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. I attempted multiple times, including using the emergency brake, which did not activate immediately. The vehicle remained in motion for several minutes in an area with children and parents present. The em... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Recently purchased the truck an warning light of low beam headlight out keeps coming on, but light is working fine, also horn and left controls on steering wheel dont work. Found There was a recall 15V459000 dealer said was completed in 2015 so is no longer warranty but the issue is happening now and it says it can cause a wire short that can cause airbag deployment
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The vehicle has a serious transmission/drivetrain defect that repeatedly occurs when accelerating from a complete stop, especially onto an incline. The vehicle sometimes does not respond at all when the accelerator is pressed and fails to move, even though acceleration is being requested. In one recent incident, it remained stopped for about one minute before finally responding. During these event... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The vehicle has a serious transmission/drivetrain defect that repeatedly occurs when accelerating from a complete stop, especially onto an incline. The vehicle sometimes does not respond at all when the accelerator is pressed and fails to move, even though acceleration is being requested. In one recent incident, it remained stopped for about one minute before finally responding. During these event... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
I am a loyal Lexus owner since 1998 and have always recommended Lexus vehicles to my family and friends. In over 25 years of ownership, I have never experienced an issue like this. While driving under normal road conditions, my new 2024 RX 350’s AC condenser was punctured by small road debris, causing a refrigerant leak and loss of air conditioning. The condenser is located directly behind the f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
Twice the side detection system failed due to corroded wiring under the bumper which then led into the electrical system failing on side air bag detection/blind zone detection/traction control system/display monitor and blinkers all failing to the point of vehicle not starting. The safety is these features failed which were both safety and stability. Risks occur in becoming stranded and the prob... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
Twice the side detection system failed due to corroded wiring under the bumper which then led into the electrical system failing on side air bag detection/blind zone detection/traction control system/display monitor and blinkers all failing to the point of vehicle not starting. The safety is these features failed which were both safety and stability. Risks occur in becoming stranded and the prob... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
There's a recall on the knuckle. An independent shop verified the damaged and the vehicle is not safe to drive. The dealership said the parts haven't came yet. Confirmed cracked front suspension knuckle under recall D019. Manufacturer cannot provide parts for over 4 months. Vehicle may be unsafe to drive.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Due to a dead battery issue in 2025, I bought a new battery. A year later, the car wouldn't start & I finally got it jumped. Ran fine for 3 weeks, then wouldn't start again. I brought car back to the Interstate battery shop, who tested the alternator, which was fine, but he said the battery was appearing low. After researching this problem, I discovered there's a known issue that the battery die... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
i have a 2019 chevy traverse i bouth it 2020 /9/11 2020 i have had problems scense then i right now havb to buy a transmission GMC had me to take it to a chevy dealer and ask for some coast asistant they would not so they baclk out now i am about to sue
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the tailgate unintendedly opened unintentionally while there were items stored in the trunk. Upon coming to a stop at the red light, another driver alerted the contact that the tailgate was open. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the tailgate was closed. The vehicle was driven to t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While traveling on a two-lane highway at approximately 55 MPH, another vehicle suddenly turned into the contact's lane, resulting in a severe frontal "T-bone" collision. The force of the impact caused the other vehicle to be propelled into a ditch, while the contact's vehicle remained on the roadway. Despite the significant nature of the crash and the speed... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering while in operation, creating a safety concern due to reduced ability to control the vehicle. At the time of failure, multiple electrical and control module faults were present. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership, which diagnosed the issue as requiring rack and pinion replacement. The owner paid out of pocket for this repair. Dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering while in operation, creating a safety concern due to reduced ability to control the vehicle. At the time of failure, multiple electrical and control module faults were present. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership, which diagnosed the issue as requiring rack and pinion replacement. The owner paid out of pocket for this repair. Dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
REAR WHEEL LOCKUP: While driving down the highway pulling a loaded trailer the rear wheels locked up, GM has an open recall on 2020-2022 models but denies its an issue with the 2024 model, my dealership pushed a “software update” but that does not fix the faulty transmission valve body issue, it just overrides the safety features that were designed to protect the transmission. I have a video... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
My vehicle has 2 issues that are known but only recalled for another year. My car will say shift to park when in park and will not power off. My vin shows no open recalls for this issue for my vehicle but there is a service bulletin for this issue with my year vehicle. The dealer will not cover the cost of repair since my vin is not listed in the recall. Also I just had to replace the vaper can... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
My vehicle has 2 issues that are known but only recalled for another year. My car will say shift to park when in park and will not power off. My vin shows no open recalls for this issue for my vehicle but there is a service bulletin for this issue with my year vehicle. The dealer will not cover the cost of repair since my vin is not listed in the recall. Also I just had to replace the vaper can... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
I am reporting a persistent and escalating electrical safety defect in a 2021 Ford Explorer. On February 28, 2022 (at approximately 10,542 miles), I formally reported a strong burning metal smell and the engine would be loud and idle high, there was abnormal noises and unusual electrical changes to the dealership (West Herr Ford). The dealer service advisor documented no problem found and told me ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Hyundai has opened an internal case, number 42429100 Their only resolution is to leave the vehicle at a dealership and rent a car at my own expense. They have offered to give me a slight discount on a trade, but all comparable vehicles are under safety recalls as well. They have offered no effective solution and I have no manner to safely transport my family. The vehicle is subject to an activ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the driver's side sliding door failed to latch while being closed automatically, causing the door to reopen and to restart the process continuously. The contact stated that upon pulling the door handle to close the door manually, the door closed and latched securely after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I was in the middle of a 1 hr long drive and my DEF gauge went from 2/3 full to empty nearly instantly. I received a message on the dash that said my speed would be limited to 5 MPH in 200 miles. Thankfully, I was within easy driving distance to a dealer, so I dropped if off yesterday (still waiting for their assessment of the issue), but what if I was in the middle of nowhere, and couldn't get to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
When going over bumps such as speed bumps or bumps in the road there has been a clunking noise and sometimes a grind, for a few seconds.With this the ABS light also comes on. Then goes off. This has went on for the past 6-7months. Its not every time,it is very random. It will do it and not again for a while. On 3/16/26 the SVC FWD warning light came on while driving. After restarting it it take... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
The doors are designed to open or shut, not a hinged or soft door close. There has been several times when I’ve opened the door and the door slams back on my elbow.
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
Seatbelt failure in a 2021 Jeep Cherokee at approximately 80,000 miles. The seatbelt is not functioning properly and does not operate as intended, creating a safety concern. The issue was diagnosed by the dealership, who confirmed the seatbelt failure and stated repairs are needed. I was quoted $522 for the repair, and only partial goodwill assistance has been offered. Despite this being a critica... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
My son’s car drifted to the right past the white line and he ended up hitting a hydrant and continued at least 100 ft before stopping. Our dash cam showed a slow smooth drift to the right without any lane assist being activated to pull the car back. All safety features were activated and turned on the day we bought the car for him. It was the main reason we chose this model. He is very lucky to ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
July 31, 2024, purchased a new 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summitt (Hybrid) from local Chrysler/Dodge dealer in Las Vegas Nevada. Keeping this very high level, after the 3rd day the vehicle would not start. The dealer sent technician to our home however finally had to be towed to the dealer. The dealer inspected the vehicle on several occasions while continuing to work directly manufacture, however a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The forward-facing windshield lane assist monocular camera ceased working after only 44000 miles. This resulted in numerous hazard warning lights being activated in my dashboard. I went to the dealer where I bought the car, and they gave me an estimate for almost $2200.00. They are charging me $1649.00 for the part. I found the part (OEM) online for half that price. A search on the internet f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The forward-facing windshield lane assist monocular camera ceased working after only 44000 miles. This resulted in numerous hazard warning lights being activated in my dashboard. I went to the dealer where I bought the car, and they gave me an estimate for almost $2200.00. They are charging me $1649.00 for the part. I found the part (OEM) online for half that price. A search on the internet f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that during or after it rained, the tailgate occasionally opened unexpectedly while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the same information as the dealer. Up... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The vehicle is a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with a 3.6L engine and approximately 124,000 miles. The engine has experienced a failure involving multiple components, including suspected head gasket failure, significant oil loss with no visible external leak, low oil pressure, and engine knocking. Diagnostic trouble codes P0365 and P06DD were present, indicating camshaft position sensor issues and oil press... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The vehicle is a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with a 3.6L engine and approximately 124,000 miles. The engine has experienced a failure involving multiple components, including suspected head gasket failure, significant oil loss with no visible external leak, low oil pressure, and engine knocking. Diagnostic trouble codes P0365 and P06DD were present, indicating camshaft position sensor issues and oil press... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
The component that failed is the coolant bypass valve, which is part of the engine cooling system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue was first indicated by an "Engine Maintenance Required" warning message that appeared on the dashboard. No prior symptoms were noticeable before the warning appeared. The warning came on suddenly during normal driving conditions. This ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Vehicle runs low of engine oil quickly. I've gotten oil changes by dealer and always explain i have to purchase oil every 3 weeks to top off. Was told its a leak but I never see oil on the ground where I park.Its been like this since I've purchased the vehicle. The headlights are not bright no matter if i change the bulb or the actual headlight
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
I think it is crazy that my 2020 chevy trax doesnt have a temperature garage, there was a 2019 recall concerning leaking coolant, and I believe a recall on something dealing with the oil cap or component all of which I am having problems with. First in February of 2026 I was on a busy multiple lane express way and all of a sudden my coolant image warning light came on and indicated :engine overhea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
On January 12, 2026, I was involved in a multi-vehicle collision on I-4 West near US-27 Off Ramp in Polk County, Florida. My vehicle was struck on the left rear quarter panel causing me to lose control, hit a second vehicle, and travel off the road to the hazard lane. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. Despite the severity of the impact, none of the airbags deployed. T... Read more
Crash