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: Nov 21, 2018
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced severe transmission shift failures, including sudden erratic downshifts, with a gear indicator cycling through park(P), neutral(N), drive (D) and first to third gears... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
Sos travel assist, Warning lights come on with such frequency the are very distracting. they even come on and the emergency braking system starts up This is a know problem that VW refuses to address. They have replace the entire system on future models. leaving current owners left hanging with this safety issue with random sensors going off whenever they dam please I'm on my 3rd steering wh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
ON MONDAY, 6/15/26, WITH APPROX 45,400 MILES, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TRUCK SAID SERVICE TRANSMISSION. THE GEARS WOULD SHIFT, BUT IT LAGGED A LITTLE BIT. I SCHEDULED AN APPT FOR TWO DAYS LATER, AND ONLY DROVE IT WHEN I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO, WHICH WAS ONLY TWICE BEFORE MY SCHEDULED APPT. I GET IN IT TO DRIVE AND IT SAYS SERVICE TRANSMISSION- UNABLE TO SHIFT SOON, THEN ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSH... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the engine intermittently hesitated and the vehicle almost shut off. The contact stated that the START/STOP button was depressed to shut off the vehicle; however, the button became inoperable. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to resume normal operation. The ve... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and hesitated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact used an OBD-2 scanner and retrieved DTC: P00C6. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
The steering has become harder to turn and will not return to center after turning a corner. When driving the steering wheel will stay in the position you have turned it to. I feel like this is dangerous and a safety risk especially at highway speeds. I have taken it to my local Chevrolet dealership and they said the rack and pinion steering is bad and needs to be replaced. $2365 parts and labor a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver stopped to make a turn and another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. The rear-ended collision caused the front driver's side headrest to detach and fly off into the trunk of the vehicle. The conta... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle started bucking and shaking abnormally. The warning light indicating that the oil level was low had flashed on the screen. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the contact to arrive on scene. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The check engine light came on 2 weeks ago, and I have had rough cold starts since then. Brought my car to the dealership after Autozone scanned the code and told me I need new spark plugs and an ignition coil. The mechanic at the Ford dealership determined that Coolant is leaking into the cylinders - I am being told I need to replace the whole engine. Apparently, this is a very common issue with ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
My car stopped in the highway
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
My car stopped in the highway
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Continuously losing power while driving. It almost feels like a drop in power and a tug backwards. It’s not the same as regenerative breaking as I am familiar with that concept. Yesterday it responded differently. Instead of losing power there was a burst of power which almost caused me to crash into the vehicle in front of me. Lastly for the last 6 months my car fuel gauge doesn’t work correc... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
My Jeep will not operate correctly in the electric mode after a software update that was required to resolve a recall. The vehicle loses power in the electric mode and surges into the gasoline mode suddenly. This occurs after the vehicle has been driven a while and when the battery level drops below 50%. See these forums for others experiencing the same issue. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Recall has been open for two years and Mazda still hasn't provided the tools to dealerships to fix it. Mazda keeps emailing to go to a dealership but they they have to turn you away as they are unable to repair the vehicle.
Incident date: May 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission and torque converter were previously replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
The turn signal stalk on the steering column will stick after being activated. It requires a sizable amount of force to disable and turn off the turn signal, enough that there is concern of damaging the mechanism.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Since 2019 there has been an intermittent issue with the steering. No warning or safety lights are on that would signify an issue. The steering wheel sticks when going through gentle curves on the road. Specifically when the steering wheel is in the 11:00 or 1:00 position. You can feel the steering stick and pull the vehicle slightly. By swiftly jerking the steering wheel in the opposite direction... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Transmission failure at 38,896 miles
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The contact owns a 1993 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact moved the gear shifter several times, and the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed of two recall notifications, NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V053000 (Power Train) and 13V252000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Structure). The de... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
I bought a brand new 2026 Chevy Traverse on May 30, 2026, and I have been experiencing chirping sounds coming from under the hood. I took it to the Chevy dealership, and they informed me that it is a known issue with no current fix available. They advised me to wait for the recall. How am I expected to identify the problem if they themselves cannot articulate what it is?
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
I have owned this vehicle close to three years and these were the all season tires that came with the car.I live in New England where I run snow tires on the car from October to April every year that I have owned the car. The car has 30K miles on it ,but the tires that came with the car only have about 10K or 7/8 tire tread left. The tires have become very noisy and are starting to cup. I did tak... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Normal driving then heard a knocking and squealing. Was told it was a spun main bearing on the crack shaft.
SUBARU
TRAILSEEKER
(2026) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 14, 2026
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights conf... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Shortly after purchasing my 2022 Ford Escape, I began experiencing hesitation during acceleration, loss of power, RPM fluctuations, loud howling and whining noises, grinding noises, exhaust-related rattling, coolant bubbling, and a strong sulfur/rotten egg odor. The problems were reported repeatedly to the selling dealer and Ford service departments. Despite multiple complaints, I was repeatedly t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
OnXXX I was sold an “As is” vehicle under a Christmas special that was deemed unsafe to drive by a licensed mechanic a week later because of the rear subframe is bent from premature corrosion the dealer denied knowing anything about it but i submitted a case with FLHSMV because under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA): For consumer sales, even in "as-is" transaction... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
This was a rental vehicle hybrid, while driving on a highway, the vehicle first developed a flat tire. Afterward, while the vehicle was in motion, smoke appeared and the vehicle caught fire spontaneously. There was no collision or impact of any kind. The driver pulled over and all passengers exited safely. The fire spread very rapidly and it's a total loss. The fire department responded and exting... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
As I was driving in to my driveway slowly, and applying the brake my 2023 Ford F-150 accerated and lunged forward.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
THE REAR CAMBER AND TOE ADJUSTER CAMS ARE COMING LOOSE. NOTICING A PROBLEM WITH 2 DIFFERENT CUSTOMER'S PALISADES. BOTH MODELS UNDER 50000 MILES. VEHICLES HAD NOT BEEN ALIGNED SINCE THE OEM BUILD.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
To Whom It May Concern, I am the owner of a 2018 Honda Clarity, and I am submitting this complaint to request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigate what appears to be a widespread defect involving the front camera system used by Honda Sensing. My vehicle has experienced a failure of the front camera system, which has disabled numerous critical safety feature... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
**Incident / vehicle info:** - **Year / Make / Model:** 2026 / GMC / Yukon (Elevation) - **Date incident began:** ~mid-March 2026 - **Odometer / mileage:** under 1,000 - **Component:** Back Over Prevention: Rearview Camera (and/or Electrical System / Visibility) - **Crash? Fire? Injuries? Deaths?** No / No / No / No - **Vehicle still owned:** Yes - **Dealer or manufacturer contacted?** Yes — ser... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
Today, June 11, 2026, my wife and 9 month old baby were on their way home from running errands in town when the vehicle started to violently shake, becoming frightened my wife tried to apply pressure to the brakes. When she pushed down on the brake pedal nothing happened and the pedal hit the floor. Our brand new 2025 GMC Acadia AT4 had just suffered catastrophic brake failure. So she pulled off o... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The airbag error light has been coming on in the dashboard in the last few weeks. Sometimes it stays on for the whole trip, sometimes it intermittently comes and goes. If an airbag is disabled due to this error, that's a safety hazard. I found several reports of almost the same issue on this car online. Here are few: [XXX] [XXX] Looks like a systemic failure with the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTE... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V363000 (Steering); however, the parts required for the recall repair were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the parts were not available. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not mad... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
High voltage fast charge contactors experienced partial weld failure (BMS_a167_SW_FC_Partial_Weld) during routine Supercharging, causing complete HV system shutdown (hvState = HV_DOWN). Vehicle also threw BMS_a085/a086 Pack and Fast Charge Contactor Mismatch codes. Tesla service is refusing to cover repair under the 8-Year HV Battery Warranty, claiming fast charge contactors are not a warranted co... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Oil cooler split due to warming up and cooling down in winter and being made of plastic All brake calipers needed to be replaced on it too
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The 10 Speed Transmission, also known as 10R80, is absolutely horrible and should be banned. I have the 2019 ford expedition manufacturered in January of 2019 there is constant jerking, poor shifting, delayed gear recognition, slipping gears while going highway speeds and side streets are the worst, this is a great concern of mine. My dealership will not fix the issue due to manufacturer warranty ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I got in the drivers seat this morning and began to put my seatbelt on. I inserted the seat belt into the latch and it automatically came undone. I am able to insert in into the latch but once there is slight body movement or pressure, the seat belt unlatches and releases itself, leaving me unrestrained.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
On XXX I was driving my 2021 Ford Escape for 10 minutes before I stopped at Sheetz gas station on [XXX]. I ran into the building to withdraw cash from the ATM leaving my fiance and dog in the car while it sat idle. Upon exiting the building about 30 seconds to a minute later, I witnessed smoke coming up from the hood of my car. My fiance and Dog quickly evacuated the car as we saw flames emerging... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
I was driving down the highway when I kinda noticed speed changed. ABS lights, foreword collision light, and rear end lights, so I turned around went back home. I rarely drive my car and I never had any problems with it. I purshased it brand new.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated upon shifting into park(P), the tailgate opened independently. A dealer was contacted. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact there would a charge for the repair because the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
I am reporting a safety-related failure of an aftermarket bull bar / grille guard purchased through Amazon. The bull bar detached from the vehicle while the vehicle was in motion on a public road. After detaching, the bar was dragged on the road and was only partially held by the fog light wiring. This created a road hazard and could have caused loss of control, damage to other vehicles, or injur... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the liftgate was consistently making loud sounds while opening or closing. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
Incident date: May 21, 2026
My 2018 Jeep Compass, with approximately 107,000 miles, has developed symptoms consistent with the oil pump/oil pressure defects reported in other recalled Jeep Compass vehicles. The vehicle frequently struggles to start, runs rough with noticeable vibration, and has displayed an oil pressure warning light. In addition, the vehicle frequently stalls or suddenly loses power/slows while driving. The... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
My 2018 Jeep Compass, with approximately 107,000 miles, has developed symptoms consistent with the oil pump/oil pressure defects reported in other recalled Jeep Compass vehicles. The vehicle frequently struggles to start, runs rough with noticeable vibration, and has displayed an oil pressure warning light. In addition, the vehicle frequently stalls or suddenly loses power/slows while driving. The... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
High pressure fuel pump failure cost $1400
Incident date: May 29, 2026
My vehicle is subject to open safety recalls involving seatbelt and third-row airbag systems. The seatbelt defect has resulted in seatbelts becoming unlatched while my children were restrained in the vehicle. The third-row airbag recall affects occupant protection in a collision. Hyundai has been unable to repair the vehicle and has informed me they are still searching for parts. My case was opene... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Was going down the highway at 72mph speed limit was 80. I felt my truck shift weird from 8th to 9th. Then once it hit 10th gear I watched it go to 1st gear then felt like it entered neutral. Shortly after it went back to 10th. Shortly after behind me it was smoking and it poured fluid from the transmission.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Riding on a highway at about 70 mph, the bike sputtered so I got into the right lane, pulled in the clutch and the bike lost power so I coasted onto the shoulder. The bike has not started up since--I was towed home. I saw no warning lights in advance. The bike was serviced after 600 miles and now has 5200 miles. Had I been in the far left lane, I may not have been able to safely get off the road i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Riding on a highway at about 70 mph, the bike sputtered so I got into the right lane, pulled in the clutch and the bike lost power so I coasted onto the shoulder. The bike has not started up since--I was towed home. I saw no warning lights in advance. The bike was serviced after 600 miles and now has 5200 miles. Had I been in the far left lane, I may not have been able to safely get off the road i... Read more