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: Feb 3, 2023
Intermittent ABS Service electronic braking system & service antilock brake system
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
I own a 2019 Subaru Outback Touring. This is the second Subaru Outback I have owned. In Aug of 2022, my windshield cracked out of nowhere. The crack came up from the center and spread out across the windshield. I had it replaced at the Subaru dealership in which I bought the car. Everything seemed fine until 12/23/22, when we got some heavy rain and I get in my car only to see water steadily dripp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Driving the vehicle it just shuts off, the will cause an accident driving down the road. It’s a major issue with shutting off an the ignition switch at that. I can’t drive it it’s parked. Along with the engine. My mechanic told me these are the troubles there should be a recall on these cars.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Driving the vehicle it just shuts off, the will cause an accident driving down the road. It’s a major issue with shutting off an the ignition switch at that. I can’t drive it it’s parked. Along with the engine. My mechanic told me these are the troubles there should be a recall on these cars.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
UNKNOWN component/system. After starting the car and placing it in drive/ pressing down on the accelerator, there seems to be a problem with the car as it feels as if the car is hesitating or lurching forward. The problem will usually only persist for a mile or two before going away. It almost always happens when cold started, but has also occurred when am starting the car again after having driv... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The contact owns a Graco Extend2Fit CNV car seat. The contact stated that while removing the car seat from the vehicle it was discovered that the stitching on one of the two safety buckles had detached and that the car seat had been secured by only one of the two safety buckles meant to be secure the unit to seat of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
If I make a longer trip more than 10 to 15 miles the car does fine if I drive it 2 miles down the road or across the street to a different store the car tells me to check hybrid system. I had it check and code c1391 came up and that was repaired. Once repaired picked up from shop drove across the street to gas station and it told me to check hybrid system again and went into limp mode. Once I do a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
Experiencing the ford “death wobble”. Around 50 mph going over small road transition the vehicle start shaking violently and I have no control. The only way to stop it is come close to a dead stop in the middle of a highway.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
I was driving my 2017 Nissan Altima SV, today on 3/3/23, and had just got on to a busy highway. I had my foot on the gas pedal trying to get to 60 mph. However, the car wouldn't accelerate past 40mph and was making a humming noise, even as I floored it. I looked to see if the car was in another gear but it was in drive. I had to pull the to slow lane and try to find a place to turn off. I cam... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
A message comes up on my dash to check airbag system.I brought it to the Honda dealership in Mobile,Al. for a diagnostic.I was told that my driver airbag needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
On 3 separate occasions brake pedal went all the way to the floor without stopping the vehicle. Pumping the brake pedal did not help as brake pedal went to the floor each time. After a few panic pumps all of sudden brakes worked as if nothing had happen. This was not a gradual regain of pedal force but full force as if nothing had happen. Did not see any indications on dashboard at th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Car has some type of black silicone inside oil pan. Inside upper pan as well. Also has clogged a screen that oil passed through. I have seen many people online do this pan drop time and time again and still having big chunks blocking its path to engine. I’m afraid of oil deprivation. This with ultimately destroy the entire motor. This could lead to serious injury or death if the motor suddenly g... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Vtec oil pressure switch low voltage threw a code so I replaced entire mechanism, I don't know the name buy removed wire snaps and three bolts and replaced with brand new, and reattached. Unplugged battery till all reserve was gone. Plugged back up [battery] drove, but still as I hit 3000 rpm and vtec turns on shoots check engine light and vehicle jukes. I have already changed oil, made sure prope... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Vtec oil pressure switch low voltage threw a code so I replaced entire mechanism, I don't know the name buy removed wire snaps and three bolts and replaced with brand new, and reattached. Unplugged battery till all reserve was gone. Plugged back up [battery] drove, but still as I hit 3000 rpm and vtec turns on shoots check engine light and vehicle jukes. I have already changed oil, made sure prope... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2015) — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS
Mar 2, 2023
Incident date: Feb 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond and was jerking significantly. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving at various speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to dealer several times. The dealer replaced the transmission clutch under warranty. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
Another driver ran stop sign and hit middle of car, mostly the left door behind drivers seat. The back and passager airbags released but the driver side airbag didn't fully release. I didn't know at the time that this was weird and was actually relieved it didn't. Since then, my son's dad drove my suv and told me that the front windshield may not have been bonded correctly, he has to put additiona... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that piston #3 was damaged and that the catalytic convertor had failed. The contact was informed that the piston failed from not enough compression. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted an... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and changing lanes, the vehicle decelerated with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to accelerate; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started to operate as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
I bought this car used and never thought to check any problems associated with headlights. The first time I drove it at night, I stopped to see if the lights were even working. I took it to my local garage who has taken care of all my vehicles from Chevrolet S10 to BMW X5. They changed out the bulbs and made no difference. He then contacted various auto parts companies to order the housing for bot... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
We were driving vehicle on a neighborhood street with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour. When we got a "High voltage fault warning" from the car. I continued to drive about 10 second more and got a second warning. A different series of warnings appeared the last one being "please pull over and check your electrical system". We pulled into a neighborhood street, turned off the car. We decided ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
Car was parked at home. Entered car to get something, noticed car smelled of faint smoke. Didn't think much of it. Next day when I went into the car noticed a large burn hole in passenger side seat.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Recently the "Service Side Detection System" light came on. Now the blind side monitoring doesn't work. While driving all of lights on the dash, radio, and headlights turned off. I was unable to see the road, my speed, or anything within the vehicle. I did some research and this is a vary common issue with these vehicles and nothing has been done to correct it.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an unstated wiring harn... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the ABS and electronic braking system (EBS) warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the ABS pump motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 37,000.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
It was a very cold night on Dec. 21, 2022. I traveled out of town. I don't recall seeing or hearing anything hit my windshield. However, on Dec. 22, 2022 when I got back in my car, I noticed a very long scratch across the windshield. It is now Mar. 1, 2023 and it has gotten much worse. I am unsure how to go about getting it fixed because I cannot pay for the repairs.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized while making a turn with an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
on 2/28/23, approximatley 7:00PM Pacific Time, I was stopped at a red light at the intersection of East Robles Ave and Santa Rosa Ave for. When the light turned green, i took my foot off the brake pedal, and the engine died, the steering wheel locked up. My check engine light came on along with the steering wheel dash icon. a message flashed on the dash - "Engine Stopped Steering Power Low" It to... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
The vehicle liftgate no longer properly latches and has opened suddenly. The interior audible warning sound continuously alerts and the interior lights sometimes fail to turn-off. The 'Liftgate Ajar' warning light remains on. This problem seems similar to the recall on 2011 Lincoln MKX.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Experienced a failure of the ABS Control Module and Electronic Traction Control during a light snow storm in September of 2022. Dash warning lights come on and go off intermittently. When warning lights come on and cruise control is being used, cruise control is deactivated. Dealership confirmed ABS CPU failure on 11/17/2022. Still waiting on replacement parts and are projected to be in around 4/1... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the engine remained idling; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to navigate the vehicle off the roadway. The check engine warning light then illuminated. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Total brake failure, no warning lights, no messages. No issues the day before, then total brake failure the next day. Fluid levels were within margin and no leaks. We replaced the master cylinder, this did not fix the problem. Then we replaced the ABS pump module and it helped but the mechanic shop could not bleed the brake system correctly so we took it to a Ford Dealership and they were able to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2023
Total brake failure, no warning lights, no messages. No issues the day before, then total brake failure the next day. Fluid levels were within margin and no leaks. We replaced the master cylinder, this did not fix the problem. Then we replaced the ABS pump module and it helped but the mechanic shop could not bleed the brake system correctly so we took it to a Ford Dealership and they were able to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
My car barely has 11,000 miles and just the other day it had about 20miles left of gas but as I was driving on the road it started to feel and seem like it was about to die on me, Also the front Wipers are not well restrained with the vehicle you can tell by the way it moves when Wipers are on....Also most of the Signals be It if something is in front of me and the signal goes off BUT THERES NOTH... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
roof rail cover flew off on interstate
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
After 3000 miles on my car I noticed a gasoline smell in my garage after driving it. Now I have 5000 miles and the gasoline smell is so strong I have to park it outside my garage since my garage is attached to my house and the smell enters my house and makes me feel nauseous and gives me a headache. I have made an appointment with 2 Nissan dealers who state it is a known problem but there is nothi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
My husband was driving and said he heard a knocking noise. We pulled over and had no oil. We put 5 quarts in and drove to the Kia dealership in Huntsville AL. We kept losing power and stalling while we drove. They said we needed a new engine. It was a known issue but not under warranty or recall. They quoted us over 14k to fix it. We trailered it home and have been praying for a recall since it is... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
I had purchased my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 hemi in June 2019. Shortly thereafter, I was driving on the highway when the vehicle stalled out and the wheel became very hard to control. I managed to avoid causing a major accident and made it to the side of the highway where I then sat for over 4 hours stranded. After trying to start my Jeep it just started up out of the blue and I drove home... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
Frame is completely rusted. the rear gas tank strap where it attaches to the frame corroded through and the strap dropped and was dragging on the ground. the gas tank also dropped and made it difficult to remove the gas cap. upon further inspection the frame is completely rusted through in spots. in 2014 a rust protective coating was applied by a dealer. it did nothing to stop the rust it jus... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
The metal pad feel off the brake pedal causing me to almost rear end someone.
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
It is extremely difficult to see at night without having to use my bright lights. The low beams are useless and poses as a hazard to the driver and the driver of the approaching vehicles. I have replaced my headlights and I have purchased fog lights as an attempt to fix the problem but it still did not fix the problem. These additional costs were well over $500. I am requesting that Acura corr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
When we started vehicle, a wide array of systems shut down including cruise, Eye Sight, lane detection, auto high bean, adaptive light cornering - essentially anything “automated” or assisted - along with the heating. The car ran at a higher RPM at idle - 2000 vs a usual 700-800 - and rough shifted at speed. Again, as if the automatic transmission lost its sync. The water temp gauge was also o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
Tried to pass a car going around 55 or 60 got into the other lane to try to go around and car wouldn’t accelerate. When you hit the gas the rpm’s jump up and drop and repeat. Had to slam on brakes and get on side of road and turn the car off and sit there for a little while until it would crank and drive again.
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
At highway speed the Windshield-Outer Trim Molding Pillar Driver Left Side departed the vehicle. I saw something flicker by but did not know what it was until I stopped and saw the missing trim piece.
Incident date: Feb 21, 2023
I have owned my 2012 KIA Sorento since 2014 and thoroughly enjoy my car. After 9 years of satisfactory ownership which include dealer servicing, my car scared me and now I question my safety. On Friday 24th, 2023, I pulled into my driveway and the car suddenly accelerated out of control. The brakes did nothing to slow its acceleration. By the time I reached the key and turned the car off it had ac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2023
I have owned my 2012 KIA Sorento since 2014 and thoroughly enjoy my car. After 9 years of satisfactory ownership which include dealer servicing, my car scared me and now I question my safety. On Friday 24th, 2023, I pulled into my driveway and the car suddenly accelerated out of control. The brakes did nothing to slow its acceleration. By the time I reached the key and turned the car off it had ac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
Per incident was back glass detached from window and broke all over the road and on the back of my car while driving. 2: Sbcc pump goes in and out admittedly and type of a no brake issue at all hard as a rock will not move car only has 180,000 miles on it and it’s been doing that since 140,000 miles Which did cause me to get in a minor accident on the right side of the car the passenger s... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
Had a minor accident no airbags deployed sitting in car I don’t know a month later something around that sitting in car key not in the ignition sitting in the driver seat when all of a sudden a big bang happened and blue out both side airbag by the sunroof sunroof. Was very loud and knocked my head sideways. Nothing had touch the car car hadn’t been hit car was sitting in the driveway with no ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V040000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the front driver’s side door latch opened independently. The contact took... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
The front control arm fails just 58k mile mark this known issue on car. Multiple time brought to there attention no action was taken