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: Feb 7, 2023
Headlight automatic sensor is failing. When lights are switched to auto mode, the headlights will randomly turn on and off while driving, regardless of outside lighting conditions. Alternatively, the lights will come on without prompting when the car is turned off & parked in a driveway at night.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
The contact's company owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The company received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V250000 (Visibility) 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 exp... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear driver’s side door flew open without warning. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was repaired out of pocket. After the initial repair was performed, the front passenger’s and rear passenger’s side doors both failed to operate as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA C... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2017 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 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 n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while stopped a traffic light, the signal turned green and the contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The engine revved and the contact stated that the check transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, shifted to drive (D) and was able to move the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
I purchased the Goodyear Assurance tires (235/55R17) when I purchased my Escape with the understanding that they had a life of 80,000 miles. They're barely through the halfway point and show signs of cracking and wire protrusion. We ran over a screw and they hole was beyond repair and the technician pointed out how the tire was failing. All four are being replaced for safety concerns.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
When the vehicle is shifted (manual transmission) from any gear into park, and the vehicle is turned off, the "Shift into Park" warning appears. I verified it was in the park. Warning stays on from 1-5 minutes, leaving all outside marker and headlights on until the sensor engages and the vehicle returns to proper state (outside marker and headlights shut off and interior dome light turns on for ex... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
While driving, the front passenger headrest just deployed and sprung forward, hitting my son in the back of the head
Incident date: May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that his wife placed a cushion on the front passenger’s seat and the occupant detection system failed to recognize that a passenger was seated in the seat, causing the air bag to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the front passenger’s side air bag senor had not recognized that there was a cushion underneat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
The CVT failed and the axle 12
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle in extremely hot weather, the transmission malfunctioned and would not properly shift while attempting to accelerate from a stop. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Manual Drive Not Available" was displayed. After the vehicle was shut off and allowed to cool down, the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The contact’s friend owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact who is an independent mechanic stated that his friend had taken the vehicle to be repaired after the key became stuck in the ignition. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the key cylinder lock housing had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V502000 (Electrical System, P... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (Visibility, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the USB, the GPS System had started to malfunction. The dealer was notified of the failure however, the contact was informed that the parts to do the recall repair was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (Visibility, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the USB, the GPS System had started to malfunction. The dealer was notified of the failure however, the contact was informed that the parts to do the recall repair was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
My 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer is about 3 months old and it’s been making squeaky noises when I break. The squeaky sound is getting worse over time and I have an appointment scheduled with Chevrolet to get this resolved. My concern is a 2022 recall on this same vehicle due to the break system. Therefore, I am reporting this for the year or 2023 because my car is brand new and making screech noise... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V594000 (Air Bags) and 23V38000 (Engine) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V594000 (Air Bags) and 23V38000 (Engine) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
While driving on 2 lane highway coming to a Stop sign, brake pedal depressed all the way to the floor without fully stopping vehicle. There was a hissing sound when depressing the pedal. Had to implement the emergency parking brake in order to stop completely. There were no warning lights and this has not happened before. I drove it home with hazard lights on and at every stop I pumped the brakes,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
Observed 3 cracks on the Subaru outback - Touring Windshield and instances as below: First Crack observed on 1st of July 11 am Second crack on 4th of July around at 4:15 PM Third crack on 4th of July at 8 PM Case opened with Subaru of America with case num: Case # 230707-1700738 5th July i had visited a Subaru dealer in Missoula,Montana but it was no help. 10th July visited Eastside Subaru and sha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Vanguard National Trailer. The contact stated that while reversing into a docking area, a spotter informed him that the axle was moving from side to side. There was no warning light illuminated. The trailer was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the bushings were worn. Additionally, the sub frame and spring hangers were cracked. ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to open. A message indicating a liftgate failure was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a used car dealer, where the liftgate fuse was replaced twice in one year; however, the failure persisted. The Ford dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly shut off and began to roll backward causing a second vehicle to crash into the rear passenger side door. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was driven away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that afte... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
Accelerating from hard stop causes vehicle to jerk. There is a lag that is dangerous when sitting in traffic. I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when I accelerated. The car has no response and then will have a sudden acceleration seconds after pushing the pedal. This only happens when accelerating from a hard stop. I have called 2 local dealers and they confirmed they have seen this issue. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
On our new 2023 Kia Telluride with less than 1500 miles, the windshield cracked from the bottom drivers side across the windshield to the passenger side. The glass is measurably thinner than any other windshield I've ever seen before. Our safety was put at risk because we didn't know if the windshield was going to cave in on us or not - you could see how thin the glass is. We were not able to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
Truck often while driving getting a "Service Trailer Brake System" message, that is a safety-critical defect, and in my case, a defective wire harness
Incident date: May 21, 2023
Electronic steering failed. Would not engage. Would not reset. While there is a recall on certain vehicles, mine VIN show 0 recall incomplete. This is a known safety issue and I am having to pay out of pocket $4100.00
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
I keep having electrical problems with my my radio UConnect and my powertrain. I take great care of my car only let the dealership handle my issues. I've read online that there was a recall for dodge chargers powertrain, but I've never been notified.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
I keep having electrical problems with my my radio UConnect and my powertrain. I take great care of my car only let the dealership handle my issues. I've read online that there was a recall for dodge chargers powertrain, but I've never been notified.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
While using cruise control on the highway, the car suddenly decelerated twice. Each time the cruise control was set around 78mph, and it decelerated to approximately 70mph. No warnings were issued before, during, or after the decelerations— the car continued as if nothing had happened.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Fuel line/s started leaking just infront of the left rear wheel about 06/27/2023. Ignition switch started sticking about 06/22/2023.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Fuel line/s started leaking just infront of the left rear wheel about 06/27/2023. Ignition switch started sticking about 06/22/2023.
Incident date: May 16, 2023
The engine keep going into limp mode. The car stalls out while at lights an stop signs, power steering goes out on highway an other roads making it impossible to steer or steer out of others ways, limp mode causes car to not be able to keep up with traffic on highway and other roads. Engine jerks forward an shifts irractically an shifts an downshifts hard.
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
While driving Down a paved roadway on 6/30/23 @ 5pm doing approximately 20 miles per hour the vehicle died and the dash lite up with every single message possible such as 4WD inactive, oil change due, fuel filter service required and etc. Attempted to restart the vehicle for about 25 minutes when another citizen noticed we were having issues with the vehicle so they stopped to assist us. The cit... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2023
The sway bar was received in July 2023 and the sway bar was manufactured too short to fit the suspension of the 2008 Hyundai Elantra. The vendor was RockAuto and this is another defective product they sent.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2023
Backup camera only shows a blank/black screen.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2023
Paint is peeling off in substantial amounts. The door pillars/roof rails are almost completely bare metal. There is a large paint bubble on the trunk that will come off soon. The roof, hood, doors all have paint delaminating and coming off. Its all getting worse by the day. I've discovered that this is a common issue with Kias in my year range (2014), model (Optima) and color (white) particularly.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
I was driving my child to daycare on my way to work one morning. I pulled into an intersection and my vehicle just stopped as if the engine had died with no warning signs, sounds or even symbols on the dash. I stepped on the gas and couldn’t get it to move all while I had cars coming at me from both sides. I tried turning it on and off nothing would get it to move, eventually the check engine li... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
As the result of a recall, my driver airbag inflator was replaced. Soon afterwards, my horn started honking when hitting, bumps or moving the steering wheel. I returned the vehicle to the dealership, and they said they adjusted something that seem to help for a short period of time. However, the problem returned upon taking the car to another dealership. I found that the automotive repairman state... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
Service Trailer Brake warning flashed then suddenly lost power steering which nearly caused a crash. Vehicle was taken to dealership and a corroded Grounding Strap caused the complete loss of the electrical power steering system.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the trunk latch failed to latch properly and had fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V619000 (Latch/Locks/Linkages) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
The contact owns 2007 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, while the vehicle was parked or idling, the electrical system malfunctioned. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, brake lights intermittently illuminated or failed to illuminate as needed, the horn failed to operate, and other undisclosed electrical systems in... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2020
The chrome colored plastic strip that runs along the dash reflects the sun into your eyes and is blinding. Sometimes I have to drive with my hand blocking the beams of light because it’s that blinding. This happens mostly in the summer but has happened in other seasons. I was going to paint it or put stickers on it to block it although my car is a rental and don’t want to void anything so ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
Problems began at 50,000 miles and now at 60,000 a year and 1/2 later they are ongoing . Electrical and engine …. Honda knows all the problems bless I am having are in many of their models! This is DANGEROUs and Honda is negligent ! First it was my car wouldn’t start. The alternator went also It needed to have the front and rear seal replaced . That is crazy ! It must be leaking oil and neede... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
I purchased my Mazda CX5 in July of 2017. In August 2018 I was driving on an expressway and the car started balking and cut out completely on the side of the road. The engine light was on. I called roadside assistance which I had purchased at the time I bought the car. They had no one in the area. After sitting at the side of the road with the hood up the car started. I took the car to an Auto Z... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that after reversing out of a parking space and coasting to exit the parking lot, the driver’s and passenger’s side air bags deployed unintendedly and without impact. The air bags within both the driver’s and passenger’s side seats also deployed. The dealer was made aware of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle lost motive power and the system off warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel then became firm. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2020
Upon receiving the notice that my Ford Bronco Sport was subject to a recall in February 2023, I called my local Ford dealer to schedule a service appointment. The dealer stated that FoMoCo is only supplying dealers with "2 repair kits per week" and that they "could not provide an estimate" on a wait time for getting the repair completed. It is now July 2023 and after reaching out to the dealer twi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the key failed to turn in the ignition. After several attempts, the contact was not able to turn the ignition and contacted a locks smith and had the ignition replaced. On another occasion, while the contact was turning off the vehicle, the contact was unable to pull the key out of the ignition. The ignition was rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2023
Power Steering System went out while driving. A warning light for the Advanced Traction System came on shortly before the Power Steering went out. This caused me to hit a curb creating a tire blowout. I got both problems fixed and the mechanic stated the issue with the power steering was that a wire for the system was resting on the catalytic converter, which caused the wire to melt and create the... Read more
Crash