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: Sep 18, 2023
Today again shift to park message came on
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
The contact's friend owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The oil and theft warning lights were illuminated. The Service Power Steering message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
Leaving the gas station that is less than 1 mile from my home, the dash of my Fusion alerted me saying "SERVICE STEERING NOW". The car then lost all power steering capabilities in the middle of the road, making steering nearly obsolete and hazardous. After briefly searching the web, I found hundreds of complaints relating to this issue. NHTSA has a recall for this Electric-Steering component on... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
Motorcycle begins to vibrate, shake, and wobble when speeds reach between 40-60 mph. This is available for inspection upon request. Safety of the rider and other drivers nearby are put at risk when the vibration begins to affect the control of the vehicle. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. The problem first appeared when the motorcycle was delivered by the manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera display displayed an upside-down image. The contact stated that the vehicle then returned to normal functionality; however, the failure had become a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
I went to start the vehicle and it failed to start. I found the fuel pump relay to be badly burned 🔥. On the 30 pin. The board was melted at the 30 pin spot for the fuel pump relay. I purchased a new relay from NAPA. I questioned whether they had a new replacement fuel pump. They told me it was not available only through the dealership. My concern was that where the relay was located at the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Car worked fine with no signs of any issues or concerns. I stopped at a light and the car turned off as the start-stop system normally does. However when the light went green, the car would refuse to start flashing "Steering Malfunction, Do not drive"... I'm at a light on a highway, what do you mean "do not drive"! The power steering was completely lost and it seems because of it, the entire syste... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
My check engine light was on and my car would shake and vibrate upon staring the engine. I was running low on coolant when I shouldn’t be despite no signs of leaking on the ground. I took it to an authorized shop by Carfax, it’s Autotech in O Fallon, MO. They ran diagnostic tests and the codes were P0302 and P0316, which apparently are common issues with Ford Edges between 2015-2018. The shop ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
My check engine light was on and my car would shake and vibrate upon staring the engine. I was running low on coolant when I shouldn’t be despite no signs of leaking on the ground. I took it to an authorized shop by Carfax, it’s Autotech in O Fallon, MO. They ran diagnostic tests and the codes were P0302 and P0316, which apparently are common issues with Ford Edges between 2015-2018. The shop ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
My 2013 Ford F-150 recently began experiencing transmission shifting problems. As I accelerated from a dead stop, the transmission would not shift out of first gear. The only short term remedy was to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the ignition, wait for 60 seconds and restart the engine. This worked sometimes, sometimes not. I understand there had been a 2011 thru 2013 Ford F-150 tran... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
The back up camera started appearing upside down at times or black. Then it was constant upside down for a couple weeks so we were co sidering flupping tje camera but it switched to a normal view for about a week or 2 and now it is usually upside down. This can be a safety issue. It's hard to not look at a camera that you're used to using and it's right in front of you. I know other models were re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Windshield developed a 30 in crack without hitting anything on the road. Other owners report a similar problem on a Facebook group.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
07/28/2023 - Car showed many brake system errors: electric parking brake, vehicle stability, adaptive cruise control, etc. Took to Heritage Honda, Bel Air, MD, and got error code diagnosis of PI20-00, brake system/pedal simulator failure. Heritage "reflashed" pedal simulator and cleared code. Told OK to drive but if brake system errors showed up again, pull over to side of road and have car towed.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
While driving the car suddenly lost power and display warning indicated that you should steer to a safe location and turn off the vehicle. Turned the vehicle on to put it into neutral (would not go into neutral unless the engine was running) to get it on the wrecker. Smoke started coming from the engine compartment. Called Honda dealership to ask how to put the vehicle in neutral without turning o... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2013) - ENGINE
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: May 15, 2023
I just had my engine replaced due to a cracked cylinder head that allowed coolant to leak into cylinder #3 & #2.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes Benz ML350. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side door failed to close properly after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact asked the mechanic to inspect the vehicle. The door failed to open after several attempts. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
My steering was difficult to turn and would not automatically return to center. It was difficult to keep the vehicle pointed in the right direction without a lot of effort. I brought the vehicle to the dealer and they first reprogrammed the power steering module, but that did not resolve the problem. They then did diagnosis with GM and found that the steering rack (steering gear) was binding and r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle randomly accelerated. The RPM had increased to a high level. The 4WD service message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, there was an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Felt the truck lurch, then airbag dash light came on, as well as the orange wrench light. Then, odometer and instant mpg read both read as zero even though I had a full tank and was going 55 mph. I couldn’t tell how fast I was going on the highway. Have not been to dealer yet, but found a recall online for the exact same problem to do with a 2013 recall on F150 for molded lead frame.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Felt the truck lurch, then airbag dash light came on, as well as the orange wrench light. Then, odometer and instant mpg read both read as zero even though I had a full tank and was going 55 mph. I couldn’t tell how fast I was going on the highway. Have not been to dealer yet, but found a recall online for the exact same problem to do with a 2013 recall on F150 for molded lead frame.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
I take my car to the dealership for maintenance when it is scheduled. The ignition would not allow me to put the key inside. I did a little internet research and it seems to be a common problem with this car. I could not put the key in the ignition. I then used some wd40 and got it to go in eventually but thought I should report it as this could pose a safety hazard.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
High beam headlights completely stopped working while driving at night on an unfamiliar road during a road trip. They both stopped at the same time and have not worked since and they are not burnt out.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he smelled a rubber burning odor. A message indicating that the turn signal was inoperable was displayed. The contact stated that he pulled to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. The contact noticed that there was smoke coming from the rear passenger's side taillight. The contact stated that he opened ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Although the 2014 Dodge Journey received the R61 / NHTSA 15V-675 recall, the warning lights for the Electronic Stability Control, anti-lock braking system failure and the warning are currently coming on (September 2023). of the brake/parking brake system on the dashboard, thus indicating that something is not working well. When scanning the car it appears that there is no communication or there is... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
On Aug 28 2023 I drove my car to Cumberland’s for a coffee (.9miles/3m away) on my way back at a stop sign, before turning left onto 129, my car shut off. I pushed the engine button, it restarted & I made it back to my house. Since owning this car this same situation has happened randomly several times, brought it to the dealers attention, not happening at the time, cannot be replicated, nothing... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
On Aug 28 2023 I drove my car to Cumberland’s for a coffee (.9miles/3m away) on my way back at a stop sign, before turning left onto 129, my car shut off. I pushed the engine button, it restarted & I made it back to my house. Since owning this car this same situation has happened randomly several times, brought it to the dealers attention, not happening at the time, cannot be replicated, nothing... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2023
Wheel was slightly going back and forth and it felt like I was driving in a rut. The all of a sudden the wheel jumped over real fast and I hit my head hard on the driver window. I immediately jerk the wheel and pulled us back to our lane. The person with me asked if I went to sleep or something and I said, see the car is jumping in front of the truck, like before when just me driving. I had compla... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Numerous times while stopped at a red light/stop sign/traffic, the auto idle stop feature will kick in, but then the car will not immediately restart. Most times if the car is then turned all the way off and put in park it will restart. Now two different times, it would not start back up at all causing to car to be stuck in the middle of the road and requiring it to be towed. Prior to the incident... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the contact turned the shifter knob to drive (D) however, the knob would not turn and appeared to be frozen in park (P). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC codes indicating that the transmission needed to be serviced ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #2 was misfiring. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where cylinder #2 spark plug and the ignition coil were replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The message "Low Coolant" was disp... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
Fire started in engine from oil leak in cylinder head on Saturday, 9/9/23 at approximately 1:15 pm. Car had been running for around 2 hours with no signs or indication of malfunction. Driver pulled car over after entering Mt. Rainier National Forest at a viewpoint. At this point driver noticed engine was smoking. NO lights or indicators on dashboard lit up notifying of overheating or malfunction. ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
Engine failed and started knocking on 8/29/2023. Had it towed to dealership where it has been sitting ever since. I am being told that its taking 8+ weeks to get approval on a new engine from KIA due to the defects of their engines. They will not supply a loaner or rental car until (IF) the engine replacement is approved.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Lower control arm bushings are worn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle starts to wobble and vibrate violently when driving above 70 mph, creating potential safety hazard at such a velocity. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
I was driving the vehicle with my 4 year old daughter and experienced a complete brake failure. The dealership responded by replacing the master cylinder (the truck only has 16000 miles on it). Upon receiving the truck back from the dealer, another brake failure occurred. This is a dangerous vehicle and GM has done nothing to make it right with me.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
While slowing down the car feels like the engine shakes and when I start to drive jumps when I accelerate also when I’m on brake it also starts to jump maybe transmission or engine problems
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Noise complaint - High pitched feedback screech coming through speaker (potential for hearing damage) that occurs for approximately 5 seconds intermittently upon starting the vehicle. It can happen multiple times in one day or not until a week or two later. We have twice filed a case with Toyota Corporation. The dealer has heard the noise numerous times and upon performing diagnostics has indicat... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
This truck was optioned with the trailer tow package which includes a trailer brake controller. However, if the battery on the trailer is a higher voltage than the truck battery, the trailer brake controller will fail intermittently. This leaves the truck traveling at freeway speeds with no trailer brakes. This is EXTREMELY UNSAFE. GM is aware of the problem and has issued a technical bulletin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
Vehicle engine blew up stopped running. I was driving up Highway 17 leaving Santa Cruz heading towards Sacramento when Engine failed was able to pull off the side of the freeway without being sideswiped had to have CHP come and shut down the number one lane in order to get vehicle towed. Was pulling a travel trailer. Vehicle and trailer were towed to the closest hotel in Scotts Valley the followin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The auto engine idle stop is experiencing issues. Sitting a a light the system with the auto engine idle engaged, the system did not turn the car back on. The dash board lights all flickered and the doors lock went on and off. Also the car appeared to put itself into neutral.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 43,097.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2022
I parked my 2022 Coachman Nova 20C at the Scenic Overlook on [XXX] at approx 11:15 AM. As I opened the right side sliding door, the CAREFREE, Freedom RM, awning spontaneously extended. The Firefly touchpad next to the door was unresponsive to retracting touch command. Once extended, no attempt to retract the awning myself was effective. No warning of the status of the awning was given. A warning ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Recently on a trip between Wichita Falls and Quanah Texas, my Tesla Model 3 while on autopilot repeatedly braked hard while traveling at 75 mph in moderate traffic. While this is a frequent occurrence with my model 3, this is the first time I felt at risk of an accident due to how hard the vehicle was breaking.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
My truck is at approximately 35,000 miles. It recently started notifying me that the Anti-Lock Braking System and the Traction Control need to be serviced. While researching, I noticed that there were numerous reports of drivers with the same issue on forums related to Ram trucks. It appears that this is a very common issue that has not been addressed by Ram.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 Honda Accord equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: G-Max AS-05, Tire Size: 215/50/R17, DOT Number: CN6AWD8R4020. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and making an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear passenger's side tire had an inch of... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
The car dies when it stops for a traffic stop. Sometimes it starts again and and sometimes it does not. It does not do it when the air is on. People honk at you in traffic if you do not start right away. I thought there was a recall on Subarus for same which is why I never bought one. The vehicle has been inspected. It also unlocks itself sometimes after I lock it.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
My truck is at approximately 35,000 miles. It recently started notifying me that the Anti-Lock Braking System and the Traction Control need to be serviced. While researching, I noticed that there were numerous reports of drivers with the same issue on forums related to Ram trucks. It appears that this is a very common issue that has not been addressed by Ram.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Acadia. 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 wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Transmission went out, under 20k miles. The dealership has had the vehicle for over two months and they are still waiting for parts.