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 9, 2026
Purchase my new car December 2026. My car has done that with people are calling Phantom breaking three times since I bought the car within the first month and a half. I was doing [XXX] the first time and there was nothing there and it just dead stopped what if somebody had been behind me and I caused it big accident? It happened again when I was doing [XXX] and it just dead stopped with for no ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V105000 (Seats). The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another dealer, Gunter Kia (1900 S State Rd 7, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317); and was informed that the part for the recall repair was on back-order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
On December 27, 2025, while using the vehicle’s Automated Park Assistant feature to reverse into my assigned parking space in my enclosed residential garage, my 2025 BMW X6 failed to detect a fixed concrete structural column directly in its path. Rather than braking or alerting me (the driver) to the obstacle, the vehicle accelerated into the column, causing rear bumper damage. No warning was is... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The vehicle was serviced at Bartow Ford in Bartow, Florida, where approximately $1,100 was paid for the installation of a Body Control Module (BCM). Less than two weeks after this repair, the vehicle was returned to the same dealership due to issues involving the windshield wipers. According to the dealership’s own written statement, their technician began diagnosing the issue by replacing a blo... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
2008 Toyota Prius gen2 with 139k miles. ABS, Brake, parking brake, and Traction Control lights all illuminated while driving the other day. Potential is losing all electronically assisted braking function in the car. Problem has been confirmed by local independent service center. Independent service center pulled codes: C1256 Accumulator low pressure C1378 Capacitor Communication Malfunction C... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Since 2024 I have been trying to fix recall 24S02/ 24V031 - EXTERIOR A-PILLAR TRIM but the dealer always has the same answer. We don't have the parts available, we will call you, but they never call back and show no signs of progress. Explorer 2015 [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V829000 (Structure) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); 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 made aware of the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off, and while attempting to start the vehicle, the rear-view camera functioned as needed. The failure was an intermittent failure. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The failures occurred while the outside temperature was belo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The drivers side door latch froze and stopped working, the door wouldn’t close and the lock would glitch when trying to lock or unlock it, once the door did close it reopened while driving, so it never really closed all the way, and it started working just fine once the weather warmed up. There are recalls on this issue but not for my vehicle specifically.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
While driving on the highway at approximately 70 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted without any prior warning or indication of an issue. This sudden loss of speed created a hazardous situation, as the vehicle travelling behind me was forced to swerve quickly to avoid a rear-end collision. Immediately following this, the check engine light illuminated. From that point forward, the transmissi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The Seat Occupancy Detection System is malfunctioning. The passenger airbag warning light activates when a passenger occupies the passenger seat and the passenger overhead reading light remains on when the seat is occupied including overnight. These are established symptoms of Seat Occupancy Detection System failure. The manufacturer issued a warranty extension specifically covering this defect fo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
My suspension didn't work. It was riding on the frame. The power steering is very difficult to turn. The front control screen is not turning on.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Circuit board inside the fuse box stopped working and there was no speed indicator, no cruise control, no odometer registering while driving. Also the mechanical fuel pump started leaking fuel at 148,000 miles and now at 156,000 miles it is burning through oil and no oil light came on and the engine went into limp mode and is also now going through coolant too.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
I was driving down the highway and the vehicle suddenly shutoff without any warning. I coasted down an off-ramp and came to a stop in the middle of a round about. The vehicle would not re-fire and had to be towed to dealership. When at dealership it was discovered the engine failed. This is a 2024 6.2 liter engine that was not included in recall. I could have caused an accident on the highway a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
I was driving down the highway going with the flow of traffic and my car caught fire. I was told by the mechanic that “the turbo line combusted and put a hole in the engine” I’ve also been told “oil got on the turbo belt and caught fire” I’ve also been told “the software recall actually had nothing to do with the software and it was an issue with turbos and something was mechanically... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
I was driving down the highway going with the flow of traffic and my car caught fire. I was told by the mechanic that “the turbo line combusted and put a hole in the engine” I’ve also been told “oil got on the turbo belt and caught fire” I’ve also been told “the software recall actually had nothing to do with the software and it was an issue with turbos and something was mechanically... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
My car was / is one of thousands of Kia cars based on the eGMP platform to experience an ICCU failure. This is believed to be a design issue. While the repair was covered, reports indicate that the problem is not solved and will re-occur in time.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Car has been auto braking even though there is nothing in front of the car. This is extremely dangerous and could lead to serious rear end collisions. There are many similar complaints on online forums and Mercedes (and their lawyers) do nothing. Link to video: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Rear power sliding window shattered after remote vehicle ignition was started in cold weather last month. It blew outward. There was a recall for this issue, but my Vin # was not included despite it being a 2017 Chevy Silverado. the recall number is: N192265660 Why was my Vin # not included? I am working to now get repaired by Chevy dealership. But questioning its exclusion from recall.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The Integrating Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failed while attempting to accelerate onto an Interstate Highway. The car then went into 'Limp' mode which only allowed a sped of 20 mph. Luckily I was able to get to the next exit without getting hit by car already on the highway going ~60-70 mph. The car showed both a 'battery warning' and a 'car over heating' symbol (the car has no engine, so assume ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
Drivetrain malfunction reoccurring 2x in 45 days. First error message the dealer charged me $600 to fix. Bringing car in second time now. Unsafe to drive due to power cutoff. This is a PHEV. Car is under the original mfr warranty and less than 3 years old.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
While driving my vehicle, the engine RPM suddenly revved very high, and the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. A warning messaged appeared stating "Transmission too hot stop safely." I was driving up a hill when this happened. I pulled over and turned the vehicle off for about two minutes. When I restarted the vehicle, the warning message disappeared even though the vehicle would not realistically h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
The rear tailgate started opening when I opened my doors and also when driving down the road. I would pull up and tail gate was wide open. I was okay but thankfully nothing in the back came out and hit vehicles behind me. No warning lights and anything. Dealership said it’s a faulty tailgate switch. Which 800,000 vehicles were recalled but not mine. Even though it’s the same year as the recall... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
ICCU failed. The car suddenly decelerated from 40mph to 25mph or less with no warning. The ICCU is confirmed to be an issue for Hyundai. I had the software update to fix the problem in 2025. It is currently at the dealership in Fort Mill, SC. DTC error code shows it as an ICCU failure. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
2025 Volkswagen Jetta SE with 12,000. Developed transmission whine from 1200-2000 RPM. During low speed acceleration and when engine is under slight load. It is whining sound coming from transmission.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The X7 engine shut down twice while driving. Both incidents took place in busy traffic, engine shut down with warning sound and error message flashed up on screen and disappeared so quick that no one can remember. As the result, the vehicle was stuck in the middle of busy traffic. Within less than 1 minute, the vehicle can be restarted and driven as normal. The vehicle was brought to BMW dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
21" Equinox EV RS wheel cracked at the lip even though we do not recall hitting anything. No known potholes or other impacts. This caused air loss from the tire and had to refill the air at least once a day. When the tire shop removed the tire to inspect it further we found no damage to the tire, just the wheel was cracked. Called dealership and they claimed it would not be a warranty issue. We en... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while changing gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
Giving code 23v214000 fuel pump recall code. Fuel pump went out
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
While I was driving the car started beeping and all dashboard lights started flickering. Transmission started stuttering and engine rpm fluctuating wildly. Fortunately I was in my neighborhood and was only going about 15 mph and was able to pull to a stop. The issue is with a faulty star bus connection near the glove box. After watching a you tube on the same issue, I learned to hit the a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
1.The driver side mirror tilts up or down every time the vehicle is started requiring readjustment before driving. My wife was almost hit by oncoming traffic when she did not remember to readjust the mirror before merging with traffic. 2. The driver seat bolster inflates every time the vehicle is started. The vehicle cannot be driven without deflating the bolster. These have been reported to t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly went into LIMP Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the glow plugs failed to function and became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to several dealers, where it was diagnosed with exhaust system failure. The contact was informed that the e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Purchased new August 29, 2025 On 12/3/25- Mileage 4495. Took vehicle in for first maintenance service. Tire rotation and oil change. On 1/7/26- Reported grinding noise we had began noticing when starting vehicle. Engine light Service ESC. Service Traction control. Reported to Ben Mynatt GM. On 1/8/26 Mileage 7120- Took Yukon in for service due to grinding noise. Due for 6 module updates and 3 sta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
TWO SEATBELT LOCKING MECHANISMS HAVE FAILED TO LOCK THE SEATBELT BUCKLES IN PLACE; THE THIRD SEATBELT LOCKING MEACHANISM FAILED TO RELEASE THE BUCKLE. ALL LOCATED IN THE SECOND ROW OF MY VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT LOCKING MECANISM ON THE THIRD BECAUSE WE DROPPED AND LOST THE BUCKLE, THIS FAILURE PUT MY CHILD IN DANGER A... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500 equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: LTX MS2, Tire Size: 245/75/R17, DOT Number: [XXX]. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low-pressure tire warning light illuminated, indicating that the passenger’s side rear tire pressure was low. The contact pulled over and inflated the rear passenger’s side tire, but the warning light ill... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
On 02/22/2026 my 2022 Nissan Rogue began sputtering as it was being driven. Was able to finally get pulled over where the engine died and would not start. Almost hit another car because did not have brakes or power steering. Was taken by tow truck to local Nissan dealer where the Tech confirmed the EGR valve was faulty and possibly caused severe engine damage. No warning lights were displayed jus... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
It was smoking from the engine, I immediately stopped the vehicle. My safety was put at risk immediately while being in the vehicle when the air bags deployed hitting me in the face and causing my face to swell. The safety of others was put at risk due to others being right next to me and putting others at risk of engine blowing up. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by police. There were no warn... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
NHTSA COMPLAINT NARRATIVE — SAFERCAR.GOV Vehicle: 2024 Tesla Model Y Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Software, Version 14.2.2.5 On March 14, 2026, at approximately 5:22 PM, a 2024 Tesla Model Y was traveling on U.S. Route 3 in Franconia, New Hampshire, at approximately 45 mph within the posted speed limit. The vehicle was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software v... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
NHTSA COMPLAINT NARRATIVE — SAFERCAR.GOV Vehicle: 2024 Tesla Model Y Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Software, Version 14.2.2.5 On March 14, 2026, at approximately 5:22 PM, a 2024 Tesla Model Y was traveling on U.S. Route 3 in Franconia, New Hampshire, at approximately 45 mph within the posted speed limit. The vehicle was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software v... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The contact owned a 2025 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the automatic emergency braking system inadvertently deactivated. The automatic emergency braking system and passenger air bag warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the suspension started lowering. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to du... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
Vacuum pump exploded into camshaft and engine area, causing me to lose brakes completely on the highway. Costly repairs to clear out metal shrapnel and replace camshaft.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe on March 11, 2024, from a private dealer with approximately 46,000. The contact was informed that the vehicle had only one owner who had leased the vehicle. Recently, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The mechanic retrieved a Carfax report and discovered that the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Transmission Control Valve Body (Recall #N242454440) Your truck is part of the massive recall issued late last year (expanded in February 2026) regarding the 10-speed Allison transmission. The Problem: Internal wear in the valve body causes a drop in pressure, which can cause the rear wheels to lock up suddenly while you're driving. Multiple occurrences. It has been taken to the shop for t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: Geolandar G91, Tire Size: 225/60/R17, and DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, the dealer informed the contact that the remaining three original tires were dry-rotted in the middle of the tire. The dealer informed the contact that the tires needed t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while retrieving items from the trunk, the contact became aware that there was water leaking into the cargo area. The contact stated that the holders were full of water. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the sunroof drain hose needed to be replaced and sealed,... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while retrieving items from the trunk, the contact became aware that there was water leaking into the cargo area. The contact stated that the holders were full of water. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the sunroof drain hose needed to be replaced and sealed,... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
VIN: [XXX] 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus 3.6L Mileage at first failure: 52,930 On November 7, 2024 my 2018 Pacifica began losing coolant (I had to refill it multiple times) and exhibited morning engine shuddering/stuttering. I took it to Century Chrysler Jeep Ram in Mt. Airy, MD (Repair Order #XXX). They performed a 5-hour cooling-system pressure test and borescoped all 6 cylinders. Their... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I hit a pothole and my airbags deployed. The Right side airbags and the front passenger seat airbags were deployed.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Airbags failed to deploy in a collision where the front end of the vehicle was crushed, and a driver wearing a seat belt hit the steering wheel with enough force to fracture their sternum and cause two cervical fractures as well.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The vehicle triggers the braking system when there is nothing in the road, this has happened when turning across traffic, into parking lots, and when just driving on a road. Luckily this has not caused a crash yet but it has a high likelihood of causing a crash if not properly fixed by Audi. Occasionally the sensors stop working and the seatbelts tighten aggressively. This is especially risky beca... Read more