Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 34,453 complaints for SUBARU
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
I already have a compliant from back in January of 2022 and original incident date of December 2021. I am still having the same issue with the engine stalling while driving. This keeps happening on highways. At this point the government and Chrysler are a joke. This is supposed to be highway safety yet you guys are letting us with Chryslers deal with this and put our life at risk. Not everyone has... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
In February, 2023 all of the warning lights came on my 2018 Honda CRV, including brake failure, lane departure and many more, making me afraid to drive the car. Dealer wants to replace fuel injectors, but none are available! I’m afraid my car is a danger to myself and others on the road, since all the warning lights continue to appear. HELP!!
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
I am currently waiting for a new Instrument Cluster, which is the cause of all of my problems, and which is why I failed the emissions test.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ACTUATOR ASSY-EPB, part number 26002aj02c (from technical service bulletin), part is not available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Brake light and iSight warning light comes on. Safety systems will not operate properly when these lights are on Has the problem been reproduc... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
On July 7, 2023, my Aunt was in a car accident that caused severe injuries to her body, face, and head. Her car is totaled. She believes the car's Lane Keep or Lane Departure systems are the cause of the accident. She has asked me to assist with reporting the accident and wants an investigation done. She received an "Lane Departure" warning about 3 days prior to the accident and again on the m... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
On July 7, 2023, my Aunt was in a car accident that caused severe injuries to her body, face, and head. Her car is totaled. She believes the car's Lane Keep or Lane Departure systems are the cause of the accident. She has asked me to assist with reporting the accident and wants an investigation done. She received an "Lane Departure" warning about 3 days prior to the accident and again on the m... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Infiniti QX50. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she attempted to engage the horn to prevent a collision; however, the horn was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clockspring had melted onto the horn relay. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
Vehicle entertainment center constantly is crashing and will not restart until vehicle is restarted. Made multiple attempts with different Honda dealerships to remedy issue and Honda can’t replicate issue.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The cam shafts are not function correctly and need to be replaced which is causing the engine to overheat. The heater hose blew while we were driving the other day and engine temperature went to almost 300. The catalytic converter is also not functioning which is releasing emissions when we drive. The overheating engine could cause a fire while driving and the we all know about the emissions ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Winnebago Travato built on a 2021 Ram Promaster 3500 chassis. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V049000 (Equipment) and 22V696000 (Structure, Equipment); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted on multiple occasions but the contact nor his wife received a response. The contact stated tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
Engine failure on 2010.kia forte due to faulty oil pump causing car to come to a stop while in trafficc could cause safety problem for everyone on roadway
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The dealer retrieved DTC code: P0192 with a faulty fuel pump. The contact added fuel, and the vehicle operated as designed. The contact called the local dealer, bu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The dealer retrieved DTC code: P0192 with a faulty fuel pump. The contact added fuel, and the vehicle operated as designed. The contact called the local dealer, bu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
recently on a number of occassions the car stopped because the pre-sense sensor went off prematurely. There were no cars within 500 feet of my car on all occassions. Now the Pre-Sense has completely turned off and will not turn back on
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
recently on a number of occassions the car stopped because the pre-sense sensor went off prematurely. There were no cars within 500 feet of my car on all occassions. Now the Pre-Sense has completely turned off and will not turn back on
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
The car struggles to shift from 1st to 2nd due to a software issue with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The software has been flashed multiple times, but the issue persists. When the vehicle struggles to shift gears, it stops accelerating and jerks into the next gear with great force. This causes the car and passengers to jolt. I have almost been hit multiple times when this happens when crossing lane... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
I have a similar complaint as NHTSA ID Number: 11210210. On several trips over the past few years, while traveling at speeds of 70 mph, my vehicle would have a loud bang and then start bucking and jerking when I briefly let off the accelerator. About 2 weeks ago, I was looking at my speedometer at the time when the bucking started happening. The EV light came on for a brief second and the needle ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
At approximately 55,000 miles I started to experience intermittent heavy vibration at Highway speeds. According to the Volvo technical journal this is a known issue called the Ghost Shaker. There we no warning lamps or car messages that displayed while the shaking occurred. Typically, the car would shake when above 45 MPH, especially on interstate. While the Ghost Shaker is happening, it was very ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2023
I'll start by stating that I currently have two Jeep Wrangler JL models that are identical, a 2020 and the one that I'm contacting you about the 2023. There is a safety issue with the 2023 where the vehicle programming causes the engine to rev itself to around 2,800 RPM's upon a cold start. This is after the engine has warmed up to operating temperature at idle. So the safety complaint is that as ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
While driving home from vacation(07/23/2023), we were on the freeway. My 3 young children were in the back seat. We were going about 75-80MPH, as the speed limit was 70MPH on the highway. My cruise control was NOT on , and there were no cars in front of us. However the collision breaking went off and it put the breaks down HARD. My kids all went flying forward causing the seatbelts to lock along w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V378000 (Engine) 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a fa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact stated that there was smoke inside the vehicle. The accelerator pedal failed to depress as needed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who referred her to the dealer. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
I purchased this car in October of 2022 it is less than a year old, this weekend the windshield spontaneously cracked on the lower passengers side in a straight thin line and has gotten bigger everyday, now exceeding 12 inches. The windshield was not impacted or hit in any way, the cracking occurring with no explanation and now requires a full replacement.. I believe I am not the only one having t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
This incident happened on July 20, 2023. I was driving to my house when I notice that there was smoke coming out of the glove compartment of my 2017 Expedition EL. I immediately stopped at the median and opened the hood to make sure there was no fire. After that, I walked to the passenger door and when I open the door I noticed a lot more smoke coming from under the glove compartment. I open the g... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
When I start my car it will sputter then die, also cuts off while driving. It cuts off but will crank up and die again after so many tries it will drive a while and do it again. The check engine was on and I have fixed the O2 sensor, the mass air flow sensor, Ive replaced the turbo hose it had a big chunk ripped out of it which we have no clue how that happened, I just changed the PCV valves a few... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
Windshield seemed to crack spontaneously with only 4000 miles. I don’t see an obvious impact area from where something hit the windshield.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The digital speedometer will shut off and all screens will turn of them keep restarting while driving.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
Airbag requiring service light came on at 100 miles. Then the SOS call button was stuck lit up with an error message on the touch screen every time vehicle was started. Then the AEB system went off while driving (not in danger of being in a crash) and brought the vehicle to a stop and put itself in Park and shut off. Vehicle would not start again after that. Had to get it towed
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
While driving in traffic, the car suddenly lost power. Could not shift into neutral or park... Raised hood, put on hazard lights. Called AAA. About 20 minutes later, the car did start and was able to drive it to mechanic... The engine sputtered, the dashboard lights flashed on and off. Had it towed to Ford Dealership. Two weeks later, they could not diagnose or fix the problem. PS, the recall had... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2023
The DEF headers (level sensors) are a known issue with these motor homes and many other diesel vehicles dating back to 2010 to even new ones today. Shaw Industries is one of the main suppliers of this part (the supplier of the ones on Tiffin Motorhomes) and have done nothing to reimburse owners for the failures. When the level sensor fails the vehicle can go into a derate mode causing it to only b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I recently replaced the battery but noticed the car was still missing. I had similar issue in February and catalytic converter was replaced. Three days ago I noticed the car was misfiring and EPC light as well as check engine light came on. I had OBD code checked and my car is misfiring on pistons 2 and 3.
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
On 7/16/2023 I was driving my 2023 Subaru Ascent on I-95 when the tire PSI warning alerted me to low tire pressure on my rear driver side tire (Falken 245/50/R20 - tires were on the vehicle when purchased in April 2023). I immediately turned on my hazard lights, lessened my speed, and carefully made my way to the shoulder hoping to exit the highway for assistance. The tire pressure dropped from 3... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
March 2023 Master Warning Light symbol on dashboard and Rear Automatic Braking (RAB) Warning Light symbol on dashboard. Warning Malfunction See Owner's Manual and Warning Parking Sensor Error See Owner's Manual. June 2023 Warning No Key Detected, Check Rear Seat for All Articles and Parking Sensor Off. VDC Settings Menu illuminated light dims while accelerating and returns to normal. Vehicle is av... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
Vehicle accelerated from a stop sign at high speed and brakes were pushed down all the way with no respond the steering wheels was stiff and the Vehicle continued at high speed on its own crashing curbs side walk vegetation along the way until final crash at a tree. not warning lamps messages and air bag did not deploy. Car engine remained on at time of crash until manually turned off. safety of ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
I suspect a failure in the fuel tank / system seal, which is allowing gas fumes into the cabin. There is a strong smell of gasoline inside the cabin especially after a full tank refill. This issue was also a problem for my 2008 Mercedes Benz E350. It has not been inspected but since my E350 had a similar extended warranty repair, I assume this would be similar. The strong fumes and odor in th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (Electrical System) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms pa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2019
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle seemed to shift into neutral and failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the service engine message was displayed. The contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was info... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
I'm unsure why this 2018 Forester wasn't one of the many manufactured that year recalled for an intermittent passenger seat air bag sensor malfunction since the focus of that recall remains the problem with this particular Forester: it has heated seats and displays an intermittent on/off passenger seat air bag light while a passenger is seated in that seat. The malfunction has been occurring for ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Seat belt has slack in it and does not tighten up and the Airbag light on the dash comes on intermitently
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Seat belt has slack in it and does not tighten up and the Airbag light on the dash comes on intermitently
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
The headlights are so dim that I have to use bright lights to see.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
In regards to the recall S89 that has NOT been issued for my 2016 Dodge Journey - the crankshaft sensor has been replaced 3 times. While traveling on the highway, at highway speeds the vehicle will just die with little to no warning. Most recently 7/20/2023 - this is the 3rd time this has occurred.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The sunroof draining is designed in such a way that if the holes get clogged, the water can back up and flood the comfort control module in the rear of the car rendering it useless. That module controls critical parts of the driving of the car like turn signals, the on/off starter motor, which if they fail while on the road make it incredibly dangerous to drive. Audi has already recalled the c... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
I have taken my 2018 Honda Pilot several times to the Honda Dealer, and they have failed to fix what appears to be a transmission problem with the vehicle. The transmission is burning transmission fluid. The vehicle makes a grinding sound when you shift gears. The gears feel like they are catching when you change them, The transmission gears shift appears to be delayed, slipping/jerking and pul... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
I brought my car to Kendall Lexus for repairs as well as a recall on the starter solenoid. They charged me about $1,200 for these repairs, including the installation of a new starter. Unfortunately, the newly installed starter failed within a month of its replacement, causing significant inconvenience and safety concerns. Upon discovering the issue, I immediately contacted Kendall Lexus to report... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
Dealer confirmed faulty ABS unit module part #68210719AB on my 2013 Ram 1500 Big Horn. No antilock brake capability, no trailer brakes, no traction control and 4 dashboard warning lights on. Dealer went to order parts in April and FCA says it's on engineering hold until march 2024 at the earliest. I told FCA Ram Customer Care on multiple occasions that the truck in not useable and is a safety haz... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
My vehicle sustained catastrophic, permanent engine failure while I was driving, in two-way city traffic. Cars backed up behind me, I had difficulty opening my door because of oncoming traffic, and eventually was able to push it (and get help pushing) to the intersection gas station. No warning lights appeared on my dashboard before, during or afterward. Independent service center reports no bat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 228I. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the sunroof exploded. The contact stated that the shade guard was closed at the time the failure occurred. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sun... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's friend used an ODB code reader and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #3. The ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also discovered that the coolant level remained low. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test wh... Read more