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 35,035 complaints for SUBARU
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Engine misfire on all cylinders. Engine start/stop failure, check engine light illuminates. Vehicle hesitates and looses power when accelerating. Vehicle then stalls while operating. Happens while in traffic or trying to pull out from intersection causing vehicle to stop in roadway. Almost causes crashes from rear due to sudden stop and sides due to not clearing the intersection. Dealer confirmed ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
Abs pump failure intermittent loss of braking system and traction
Incident date: Nov 2, 2023
I was driving down the road at 55mph when there started to become a loud knocking noise from the engine. After about a mile message came across the dash that said reduced engine power and 2 seconds later the entire engine shut off wouldn't turn back on or crank. There were about 20 different check engine codes at the time. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer where they did an inspection the foll... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2023
Engine locked up broken crankshaft
Incident date: Nov 2, 2023
This 2015 van has the exact problem described in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V598000
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
My daughter was driving yesterday when the steering wheel locked suddenly. She was sideswiped by another vehicle that hit the wheel well and forced the steering to work again. The occupants of the other vehicle did not pull over so she drove on to my work where she broke down crying and explained what happened. I took the car in yesterday to diagnose any issues with the car and was told that th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while driving at slow speeds. There was an abnormal burning odor. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle worked as designed. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving, she became aware of an abnormal burning odor. The power steering became inoperable while driving. There were no warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission inadvertently downshifted to a lower gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter became inoperable. The check engine and electronic throttle control system warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the motor mounts and transmission bushing ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission inadvertently downshifted to a lower gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter became inoperable. The check engine and electronic throttle control system warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the motor mounts and transmission bushing ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
You’re making the new ford cars unsafe for shorter women. I just bought a new ford escape. I’m 5’3” tall (short, but not far from average) and the 2023 ford escape seat HEADREST DOES NOT FIT. My seat is relatively farther forward so my feet can reach the peddles and the seat back is sort of straight up so that I can reach the steering wheel. This puts the headrest pointing forward into... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Vacuum Booster Pump failed while driving on the highway with my girlfriend and her small child in the car and this common problem for this specific Chevrolet motor and endangered our lives significantly. Over 500 complaints on NHTSA website. No recalls to date. $4,000 damage. Filed official complaint and requested that Chevrolet cover the costs.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
In Sept 2022 my airbag light came on and dealer charged me $1,200 for a senor issue to fix, then in December 2022 it came on again they said it was a different issue related to vehicle safety and charged me for part. Then in June 2023 i received the recall notice for my airbag - I've tried multiple times to see when this can be fixed hopefully prior to shards of metal impaling me - told parts no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms pa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
Last December my airbag light came on. I took it to Minot Chrysler Center and Toyota Center and they told me the wires for the airbag under the drivers seat were frayed and needed to be replaced. They also had to replace the harness because they said that too was not working. I had it fixed. Three weeks ago the light went off I made an appointment right away and today they told me it was the same ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
I took the vehicle in for routine oil change. The technician advised on his notes: " Safety hazard: there is very bad rust on the frame of this truck. The sway bar and engine mount looks like it could break free at any time" I then took the vehicle to my Toyota dealer who inspected the frame and advised they couldn't fix it and they did not recommend driving it due to the rusted frame.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The following information was stated in the repair report to the Kia Dealership Service Dept.: 09:49 10NOV23 12:18 10NOV23 LINE OPCODE TECH TYPE HOURS LIST NET TOTAL A CUSTOMER STATES CLICKING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING WHEEL, STEERING DOES NOT SEEM AS RESPONSIVE SINCE NOISE STARTED...CLIENT INFORMED OF 200.00 STARTING DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE...CLIENT OUT OF WARRANTY FOR WTY006 WARRANTY EX... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
Complete loss of high beams during vehicle operation. This problem is intermittent.This has caused reduced visibility and can increase risk of a crash resulting in injury and or property damage. Kia has knowledge of the problem and has sent me a letter that extended the warranty to 15 years/ 150,000 miles. It is very difficult to get the headlights replaced under warranty because of the i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Was serviced by Hyundai in March 2023 to for oil sensor light but was really the oil was being burnt inside the engine Hyundai ran 2 oil consumption test in May 2023 and June 2023 which the car failed both. Service manger sent paperwork to Hyundai letting them know that engine was faulty because paperwork was summited with the wrong mileage the replacement of the engine has not happen. So Servic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Bought a 2023 Tesla model 3 performance that vibrates from the day I bought it. After 12 service visits, new wheels tires and even a new brake rotor the car is still vibrating. Tesla seems to say it’s normal and that all teslas drive like this but no other vehicle manufacturer has ever produced a car that vibrates. It’s unsafe and scary to drive this car the way it is. They tried fixing it at ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Bought a 2023 Tesla model 3 performance that vibrates from the day I bought it. After 12 service visits, new wheels tires and even a new brake rotor the car is still vibrating. Tesla seems to say it’s normal and that all teslas drive like this but no other vehicle manufacturer has ever produced a car that vibrates. It’s unsafe and scary to drive this car the way it is. They tried fixing it at ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Occasional loss of power steering and or locking up of the steering wheel resulting in excessive force to overcome the locked or "catched" position. Dealer has inspected and says that the electric steering gear is faulty.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
Break booster with leak noted requiring replacement. Turbo boost needing replacement. After turbo boost replacement, began having a shudder during acceleration between 40-48 mph. Now needing torque converter replaced.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
Windshield crackers with no outside damage. Started on drivers side and is spreading across.
Incident date: Jan 21, 2022
I was driving on the highway with cruise and my car started to go limp, then started to accelerate without my foot on the gas. Then my check engine light came on and I pulled off and turned the car off and back on. It drove fine but when I went to have it checked they said it threw a code for my TCM. My coworker also drives a Chrysler 300 and had the same issue in the same week! He never got his c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
On November 11, 2023 @ between 10:30 and noon, the vehicle infotainment system completely failed. The screen went blank and functions for heat, radio, navigation, cameras, indicator lights in the mirror and the ability to call Volvo emergency services were all lost. A message on the screen said, "Stop the vehicle. This vehicle's infotainment system has encountered a problem. You can reboot or... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The middle passenger seatbelt receptacle that came with the vehicle is the component that often failed. Passengers sitting in this particular seat would often try to put on their seatbelt and it would not catch. Though intermittent, this would occur 1/3 to 2/3 of the time. Passengers sitting in that particular seat (none of the other seatbelts had problems), would often have to try and engage or c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
After driving on the freeway for about 1 hour, took the exit to the right. Check engine light came on and vehicle had loss of power and was shuttering. Attempts at accelerating were met with little to no power. Tried turning off eco mode, no change. Limped to the first safe place to stop, avoiding any fast traffic behind. Shut off vehicle, and when I started again, no check engine light, vehicle o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
In the middle row of a six seat Tesla Model X, if one installs a forward facing car seat the latch which connects to the backside anchor of the seat has no integrity. The belt slides from over the seat of the car killing the purpose of the tether.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Seat belt unbuckles from base. This was a recall for sonatas but ours is having this problem but it says it is not a part of the recall
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
ADAS sporadically works. It constantly turns off and on. Have taken it to dealer, codes are cleared, camera is cleaned, and am told that should fix the problem. Within 5 blocks of leaving dealership, the problem comes back. The next solution according to them is replace the camera for $1800. This is a safety issue. The safety features are unreliable. I have also researched online and there ar... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
HCU light cone on the dash and code in the ecu. No damage to vehicle to cause this issue. This is a concern that the ABS system will not work when needed. Dealer says there is a lot of issues with this unit.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Audi Q7. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and at various speeds, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of fuel forming a puddle on the driveway. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
2017 & 2018 Ram trucks have have a lot of ABS brake failures. I only have 30,000 miles on my truck. At 22,000 miles I had a ABS module replaced. Now at 30,000 miles I need another ABS module replaced. The problem is Ram does not have any ABA modules available. I am hearing they might have some by March. According to the Ram dealer, Ram is designing a new one because of all the failures. So that le... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
Vehicle completely shut off while driving down highway. Completely lost steering response and breaking response. There was absolutely no way to control the Vehicle. My daughter and I both thought we were going to crash and die. We live in Alaska and it's winter time so the road conditions aren't the best. It took about 10 to 15 seconds and everything came back on and started working again. I drove... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
Vehicle completely shut off while driving down highway. Completely lost steering response and breaking response. There was absolutely no way to control the Vehicle. My daughter and I both thought we were going to crash and die. We live in Alaska and it's winter time so the road conditions aren't the best. It took about 10 to 15 seconds and everything came back on and started working again. I drove... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Driving to work my rear window suddenly shattered. I thought something had gone through the glass but nothing was discovered in the boot. I called police, to make sure . They confirmed that likely it was a defective window. I had run the rear defroster for about 10 minutes prior to the shatter. Thankfully, it was not raining and no one was hurt. The rear window glass continued breaking off c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Vehicle shut down while driving slowly after a stop sign. Occurred on first trip of the morning, cooler weather, at a slow speed within neighborhood. After stopping at a stop sign, and pressing the gas pedal, the vehicle shut down. I had to steer it (power steering off at this point) to the right and barely was out of the intersection. It went into park, emergency brake engaged itself. It took... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
We have had to replace 2 faulty flywheels (a.k.a. flexplates) in our Chrysler Town & Country. The mechanics report that the composite materials used in creating these flywheel/flexplate parts were "less structurally sound than they should have been; therefore causing premature breakdown/failure in otherwise acceptable conditions."
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
We have had to replace 2 faulty flywheels (a.k.a. flexplates) in our Chrysler Town & Country. The mechanics report that the composite materials used in creating these flywheel/flexplate parts were "less structurally sound than they should have been; therefore causing premature breakdown/failure in otherwise acceptable conditions."
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
Windshield replaced three times faulty seal, tires defected fell apart within two years less than 10,000 miles on vehicle
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
ABS Control Module causing ABS light to come on, consistent audio warning, and disengages Cruise Control function. Currently being diagnosed by Dodge dealer the ABS Module and Hydraulic Control Units failing internally. Initially it was very seldom, and now is constant.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
Coolant intrusion risk of fire. Complete engine shut down. Ford dealership said I now need a new engine due to the coolant intrusion. Ford knows this is a bad design. They had a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 June 2022 for a short 2 months to repair. Ford needs to recall and repair. Dealer now wants 8k for new engine, now im out a car.
Incident date: Nov 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake warning light illuminated on the instrument panel with an abnormal hissing sound while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where brake fluid was added to the reservoir. Despite the repair, the failure persisted. After the contact's third visit ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufactur... Read more