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: Jan 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 40 MPH and approaching a stop going uphill, there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The automatic emergency braking (AEB) malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 40 MPH and approaching a stop going uphill, there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The automatic emergency braking (AEB) malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Two days ago, my husband took our vehicle to the car wash. At the other end of the car wash, it was discovered that the closed panoramic sunroof was completely destroyed during the process. Shards of glass were everywhere. We have contacted Hyundai and they have told my husband there is no class action suit about this problem. Even though it is under warranty, as it is a 2022, they refuse to take... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
I purchased my 2017 C300 class Mercedes-Benz ("MB") in May 2021 from a used car dealership in Mobile, AL. At that time it had 36,000 miles. Less than 2 years later, on or about 12/15/22, as I was driving, the MB suddenly and without warning began to vibrate violently and immediately lost power. The car had @54,000 miles on it. I routinely drive interstate to and from work and had just gotten of... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Several times when driving (3) the vehicle loses all power and stops. Warning error messages are displayed on the dashboard screen ("Electrical system error") and "Engine Control Error" This is a dangerous situation, as the car suddenly just went dead on the middle of the highway. with cars having to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting my vehicle. The vehicle has been in the Porsche dealer once... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
Needed to replace a wheel bearing and a front control arm bearing at 18k miles. Have seen multiple reports of the control arm bearings going bad prematurely on these vehicles and it seems this could be a serious safety concern. There should probably be a recall for the front control arms on this year/make/model.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
When driving on the highway and using the "autopilot" lane assist feature the care will automatically change the set speed limit and hard brake which puts my passengers and I in danger of being rear ended due to the abrupt stop. For example I have been driving on the highway with the autopilot set to 65mph and all of a sudden the speed will change to 35 and execute a hard braking maneuver. To comp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
I purchased my 2017 C300 class Mercedes-Benz ("MB") in May 2021 from a used car dealership in Mobile, AL. At that time it had 36,000 miles. Less than 2 years later, on or about 12/15/22, as I was driving, the MB suddenly and without warning began to vibrate violently and immediately lost power. The car had @54,000 miles on it. I routinely drive interstate to and from work and had just gotten of... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side interior door panel became unsecured and partially detached from the door frame, causing the door to be difficult to open, closed, or unlocked. Additionally, the front driver’s side interior door panel was unsecured and partially detached; however, the door was able to be opened, closed, and unlocked norm... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2022
I woke up one morning to find a few cracks in my windshield that were not there the day/night before. The dealership says it was from impact, but I hadn't driven it yet that day, it was fine the night before, and I have covered parking at my apartment.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and losing traction. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was difficult to steer. The contact stated that the wheels continued to spin but the vehicle was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
The screen display with the oil temp gauge and water temp gauge will randomly turn off while driving as well as sometimes it will not turn on immediately when the car turns on. I have brought this to the dealers attention and nothing has been done, there has been no warning lights on the dash illuminated. This has been going on randomly for the last 6 months. Another issue is that when the blueto... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
Rear brake lines split while driving no warning just couldn’t stop all the way.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine produced a check engine light 4 times in 2 months, and now is undrivable. - How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Always misfires in a cylinder. That can quickly become a safety issue when you're driving and it happens. Now there's no coolant in it and oil pressure li... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating. There was an abnormal buzzing noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2023
We keep replacing batteries and they keep failing. We wonder if this is related to the class action lawsuit concerning the CAN bus system.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH ON CITY STREET WITH NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. CAR DASH FLASHED RED ADVISING ENGAGING EMERGENCY BRAKING AND THEN DID. BRAKES APPLIED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED AND WARNING WENT AWAY.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
My car just dies on it's own while driving and it has trouble starting back up or somedays it just won't start up but after it dies while going down the road but after cranking it a few times it finally starts the check engine light comes on the traction control light starts flashing the brake light starts flashing and the cruise control light starts flashing I took it to a dealer and no codes wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
My car just dies on it's own while driving and it has trouble starting back up or somedays it just won't start up but after it dies while going down the road but after cranking it a few times it finally starts the check engine light comes on the traction control light starts flashing the brake light starts flashing and the cruise control light starts flashing I took it to a dealer and no codes wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
My car just dies on it's own while driving and it has trouble starting back up or somedays it just won't start up but after it dies while going down the road but after cranking it a few times it finally starts the check engine light comes on the traction control light starts flashing the brake light starts flashing and the cruise control light starts flashing I took it to a dealer and no codes wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH ON CITY STREET WITH NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. CAR DASH FLASHED RED ADVISING ENGAGING EMERGENCY BRAKING AND THEN DID. BRAKES APPLIED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED AND WARNING WENT AWAY.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2022
With less than 7000 miles on the odometer, our Outback2019 radio system component started to malfunction and rotate thru channels. Sheehy Subaru of Springfield performed system update, but no change. The entire component was ordered but is now on back order. It is now almost 4 months and we don't trust other possible related components of the system (e.g., GPS) to function properly to feel saf... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
The car's battery does not recharge the battery adequately, or retain a charge for a reasonable amount of time. I have a jumpstarting device that I keep in the car because the battery dies so frequently. There are no after market parts in the car, or modifications apart from maintenance performed by Subaru.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
Paddle shift levers--which are positioned on the steering wheel as opposed to the steering column--are too square-edged (shape), which is a design defect that can cause loss of steering control. Specifically, the sharp corner can catch on coat zippers. I was driving East, took a right turn, and intended to procced with driving South. When I attempted to straighten out the wheel, however, I was ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Over the past year that I have had my vehicle, having bought it in April 2022, I have had my windshield crack 3 times. Each crack has occurred around the end he’s of the windshield. One was caused by a rock hitting the windshield while driving less then 20 miles per hour - resulting in two cracks up the windshield.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
In September 2021, the driver side headlight failed, creating a hazard driving at night. In January 2023, the passenger side headlight failed, creating the same hazard. The dealer reviewed both issues and confirmed the ENTIRE headlight assembly has failed in both cases, requiring a full replacement of the assembly (not just a single headlight bulb). There were no warning signals - the car warnin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
I have a 2017 Subaru WRX that stalls while driving (including at highway speeds) 2 to 3 times every day on my commute to work through the mountains. This has led the vehicle to skid sideways and lose control. When I looked into this problem, I found that Subaru has a recall on its fuel pumps for 2018 to 2020 Subaru WRX vehicles but somehow my VIN does not appear to be considered AN affected vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Around 8 am on 1/4/2022, driving the car on I85 in Durham County, NC, at a normal highway speed, the sunroof glass shattered suddenly and without warning. The sunroof was fully closed at the time, but the inside cover was open. Shards of glass were sprayed within the cabin. This was a dangerous distraction to the driver, and could have been much more serious if he had gotten glass in his eyes from... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
The battery on numerous occasions goes dead. Some thing causes the charge to drain. This has occurred while the car is parked overnight as well as when the car is on a long drive and stops at a rest stop.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
Air bag Passenger light on and blinking .
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The motor for the wiper fluid dispenser went bad. I took the vehicle back to be repaired and while they had the vehicle apart, I was informed that my entire wiring harness needed to be replaced. Now, my vehicle has sporadic issues such as windows not going down, the door locks engaging on their own, my fuel economy will suddenly drop to 19mpg from 28 mpg. Subaru initially stayed this was all due t... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The motor for the wiper fluid dispenser went bad. I took the vehicle back to be repaired and while they had the vehicle apart, I was informed that my entire wiring harness needed to be replaced. Now, my vehicle has sporadic issues such as windows not going down, the door locks engaging on their own, my fuel economy will suddenly drop to 19mpg from 28 mpg. Subaru initially stayed this was all due t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
Excessive use of RTV is finding its way into oil pan and clogging oil pick up. Will most likely cause oil starvation to the engine. This needs to be addressed by Subaru ASAP.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
Subaru's negligence strikes again with the SAME problem their other cars have had in previous years. The RTV silicone, a substance utilized to seal various components in the engine block was excessively applied in surplus. Therefore, this RTV ends up clogging essential components of the engine block, such as, however not limited to, the tube used to draw and release oil from the oil pan. There is... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle made a sudden stop without warning. The contact stated that several minutes later the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 800.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
Crack in the windshield with no apparent evidence of an object hitting the windshield. It started below the windshield wiper on the passenger side. Within days it spread several feet toward the middle of the windshield. The glass repair center noted that this is a common occurrence on Subaru Outbacks.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
Multiple issues are with the electric system. The power windows will stop working up or down, the headunit/defroster/safety features will all lose power while driving before starting up again, the rear gate will sometimes not function. Some issues have occurred where some of the added safety features don't seem to always function as well. In the last month both passenger side windows have cracke... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
Multiple issues are with the electric system. The power windows will stop working up or down, the headunit/defroster/safety features will all lose power while driving before starting up again, the rear gate will sometimes not function. Some issues have occurred where some of the added safety features don't seem to always function as well. In the last month both passenger side windows have cracke... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Windshield cracked spontaneously at the middle base of the windshield in a perfect arch. Crack appears to be on the inside of the glass. No impacts or anything hit the windshield, no reason for this to happen. My car is parked in a garage. Called Subaru, they insist there is no recall.
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the hydraulic brake lines were leaking. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was rust covering the subframe of the vehicle and fuel tank. The dealer declined to complete a recall repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the hydraulic brake lines were leaking. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was rust covering the subframe of the vehicle and fuel tank. The dealer declined to complete a recall repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he noticed that a vertical crack had formed on the bottom passenger’s side windshield. The crack quickly extended approximately 30 inches. The contact stated that the crack obstructed his vision while driving at various speeds. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the 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 parts ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
There is a known issue with certain Subarus where it is phantom draining the battery. I replaced battery in 2021 with AutoZone after being stranded. It too doed in June of 2022. I replaced it again. In Dec 2022 it started to die and found out about the class action lawsuit. I went to Subaru and they said since I already replaced the OEM battery, they couldnt help me. This should be a recall. I cal... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
On Tuesday, January 3, I had a THIRD chip in my windshield. This just happened yesterday, so I have not had it evaluated yet. HOWEVER, this will be the THIRD chip that I will have to have repaired in the three short years I've owned this vehicle. The first chip happened within a month of owning the vehicle, and there is a current NHTSA complaint on file (11297348) for this chip. The second chi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V9070000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed her that parts were available. The dealer was called back, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
Battery drain when car isn’t in use for 2 days went through 3 high CCA AGM batteries since I purchased new. also the manufacturer OEM battery. I only have 16,400 miles on the car and went through 4 total batteries. I had to pay for all the batteries and now I need another one.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The left rear door would not open from the inside when unlocked. In an emergency, my passenger would not be able to get out on their own.