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: Oct 18, 2022
The engine on my 2015 Subaru Forester consumes oil at a very high rate. I use fully synthetic oil and within 1,000-2,000 miles, I have to top it off due to excessive "burn off". I have done on-line research, and this seems to be a common problem for this year/make/model. I have been unable to get any action but wanted to report the issue to support a general recall, if applicable. I recently to... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
This is about a problem of which your agency is already aware. Subaru of America has been aware of a defective Thermo Control Valve for almost a year (Part 21319AA010). The part was redesigned since the initial part was subject to extreme corrosion. The redesigned part has the same part number as the original part. Subaru did not do any recall but instead waited for the parts to fail. When it fail... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
This is about a problem of which your agency is already aware. Subaru of America has been aware of a defective Thermo Control Valve for almost a year (Part 21319AA010). The part was redesigned since the initial part was subject to extreme corrosion. The redesigned part has the same part number as the original part. Subaru did not do any recall but instead waited for the parts to fail. When it fail... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
This is about a problem of which your agency is already aware. Subaru of America has been aware of a defective Thermo Control Valve for almost a year (Part 21319AA010). The part was redesigned since the initial part was subject to extreme corrosion. The redesigned part has the same part number as the original part. Subaru did not do any recall but instead waited for the parts to fail. When it fail... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at night with the low beam headlights activated, the illumination was extremely poor causing a visibility failure. The contact indicated there were dark spots and shadowy lines present on the windshield within the driver’s field of view, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. Additionally, the contact indicated ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
Two things have already failed on this vehicle. The first being the seats/seat belt clips on the driver and passanger seat. The seat in constructed in such a way that no matter what adjustment is made, the driver feels as if they are falling into the steering wheel. Any attempts to correct the positioning leaves the driver feeling as if they do not have control of the vehicle. Additionally, the in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
Two things have already failed on this vehicle. The first being the seats/seat belt clips on the driver and passanger seat. The seat in constructed in such a way that no matter what adjustment is made, the driver feels as if they are falling into the steering wheel. Any attempts to correct the positioning leaves the driver feeling as if they do not have control of the vehicle. Additionally, the in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
When the car is not driven the car battery is drained completely and requires replacement. I have replaced the car battery three (3) times in less than one year. Alternator is functioning properly. This costs $165 each time I replace a car battery. I cannot see mileage as car is dead (approx 12,000).
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
My outback was parked in my locked garage over night temp got below 40 degrees that night. Got into the outback and noticed a large crack in the center of windshield that started at lower end of windshield. Called dealership and made an appointment saw service manager and took his pen to show me where he thought a stone had chipped windshield but I just saw the crack no chip. I explained there was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
My outback was parked in my locked garage over night temp got below 40 degrees that night. Got into the outback and noticed a large crack in the center of windshield that started at lower end of windshield. Called dealership and made an appointment saw service manager and took his pen to show me where he thought a stone had chipped windshield but I just saw the crack no chip. I explained there was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
At only 3,000 miles front suspension “clunks” at low speeds over speed bumps, potholes, and other uneven surfaces
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
We've had this car for a little over 2 years and have had 3 cracked windshields, seems like anything that hits it causes a crack. I've been driving for over 45 years and multiple cars and have had cracked windshields 2 or 3 times. This doesn't make any sense. Thank you.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
For the last few years, the reverse lights would intermittently work when the six-speed manual transmission was put into reverse. Lately, the lights fail to work more often than actually work. I have read other Subarus have a common reverse light switch failure and I think more of the older cars use a similar switch and design to recalled models.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
While sitting vehicle was sitting in my locked garage got into vehicle and noticed a large crack in center of windshield had appeared without incident called my Subaru dealership that I purchased vehicle from they made an appointment and I took vehicle to the service manager and he took a quick look and pointed to windshield and said it was a stone chip. I could not see the chip he was talking abo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
While driving at highway speed the tire separated at the seam of the sidewall and tread. Tire tread depth was between 9–9.5/32nd on the tire. 225/60 r17 tire. Because of the complete separation of the tire and how sudden the separation occurred, it caused the vehicle to lose control, thankfully the driver was able to get control of the vehicle and get it start safely. The safety of all occupan... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
My 2021 outback has now died on me 5 times now leaving me strand at different places.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
Windshield cracked while parked in garage. No object impacted the windshield. No temperature extremes. Approximately 12 to 14 inches in length starting from passenger side.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2021
Hello my name is [XXX], I'm the first time owner of this vehicle, purchased this vehicle new of the dealer with 5 miles, ever since I bought it the car has an issue that it steers to the right at any speed, road, condition very dangerous. Over the past months and years I told Subaru dealers, service department, sales guy and Subaru corporate about the issue, long story short I've gone to the servi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2021
Hello my name is [XXX], I'm the first time owner of this vehicle, purchased this vehicle new of the dealer with 5 miles, ever since I bought it the car has an issue that it steers to the right at any speed, road, condition very dangerous. Over the past months and years I told Subaru dealers, service department, sales guy and Subaru corporate about the issue, long story short I've gone to the servi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2021
Hello my name is [XXX], I'm the first time owner of this vehicle, purchased this vehicle new of the dealer with 5 miles, ever since I bought it the car has an issue that it steers to the right at any speed, road, condition very dangerous. Over the past months and years I told Subaru dealers, service department, sales guy and Subaru corporate about the issue, long story short I've gone to the servi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space very slowly, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, and crashed into a concrete pole. The air bags had not deployed during the crash. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The contact stated that his wife suffered a fractured sternum, and he had lower back muscle strain with ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
The touch screen has bubbles on it and a mind of its own. I can not use my phone, maps let alone the radio. The vehicle has only 11k miles on it. I am being told I am out of warranty and it will cost 2k to replace the head unit. Searching forums this is a common issue. The 2018 models ended with a class action. At this point they are not taking responsibility for the 2019.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
The touch screen has bubbles on it and a mind of its own. I can not use my phone, maps let alone the radio. The vehicle has only 11k miles on it. I am being told I am out of warranty and it will cost 2k to replace the head unit. Searching forums this is a common issue. The 2018 models ended with a class action. At this point they are not taking responsibility for the 2019.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that he parked and remained at a close distance from the vehicle; however, upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that there was a large crack on the windshield. The contact inspected the windshield but could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not dia... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
Please see ODI#11486236 & request # 562681 “ part 1” I wrote complaining about a 2012 Subaru Legacy Torque Converter issue. It was “ out of warranty 7/31/22 or 100k miles. At the time it started stalling it was at 103k miles in August 2022! I did not feel comfortable driving it. On 10/19/22 My mechanic drove my car & it shuddered & stalled at intersections for him also. I did not feel comf... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
Please see ODI#11486236 & request # 562681 “ part 1” I wrote complaining about a 2012 Subaru Legacy Torque Converter issue. It was “ out of warranty 7/31/22 or 100k miles. At the time it started stalling it was at 103k miles in August 2022! I did not feel comfortable driving it. On 10/19/22 My mechanic drove my car & it shuddered & stalled at intersections for him also. I did not feel comf... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
Please see ODI#11486236 & request # 562681 “ part 1” I wrote complaining about a 2012 Subaru Legacy Torque Converter issue. It was “ out of warranty 7/31/22 or 100k miles. At the time it started stalling it was at 103k miles in August 2022! I did not feel comfortable driving it. On 10/19/22 My mechanic drove my car & it shuddered & stalled at intersections for him also. I did not feel comf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
Car would not start in morning. @20,000 miles. Battery dead..not even trying to turn over..Had to get car jumped then all safety features went dead..looked on Subaru sight and it showed every safety feature disabled..I did not drive car till next day to bring to dealer..next day all features fine like nothing happened..Dealer found nothing wrong. Dealer tested battery and showed fully charged..
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
My car was parked outside when one morning I noticed a 2-inch crack started from the edge of the windshield on the passenger side of my vehicle which grew to 19 inches in the following days. The crack feels smooth from the outside and to my knowledge didn't happen due to any impact. My vehicle is available for any inspection. I have not taken my car to the manufacturer regarding this issue yet.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
The windshield broke there are no signs of breaking by a rock or any external element, there is a crack coming from the de-icer region, it was a small crack but now it covers all the side from the passenger side.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
Driving back to work, the seat belt alarm started chiming. I noticed the airbag light was on for the passenger side along with this chime. Looking it up, I see recalls for the ODS system in later years than my vehicle, but not yet for the year of mine. No incident occurred.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
While driving on 55mph road, sunroof suddenly shattered for no apparent reason (no sudden impact from rock or other debris), producing a loud bang, startling driver. Driver momentarily swerved due to being startled by noise from next to head before correcting. No other cars were around on the road at the time and driver is sure no rocks or other objects fell onto sunroof (covered by rooftop cargo ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
While driving on 55mph road, sunroof suddenly shattered for no apparent reason (no sudden impact from rock or other debris), producing a loud bang, startling driver. Driver momentarily swerved due to being startled by noise from next to head before correcting. No other cars were around on the road at the time and driver is sure no rocks or other objects fell onto sunroof (covered by rooftop cargo ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
No response when gas pedal is pushed. Intermittent. Very dangerous when pulling out into traffic. Very serious safety hazard.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
There is a recall for fuel lines for MY2002-2003 Imprezas and the issue was resolved or a fix was implemented on late MY2004 vehicles. Unfortunately this means early MY2004 vehicles are still impacted by the issue with no recall in place. During cold weather or during cold engine startup fuel lines are prone to leaking onto cylinder head. Raw fuel can be observed dripping, and can be smelled ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
Battery dead. Got jumped. A week later has now happened again. I just replaced the battery with brand new in May’22, as previous battery had quit on me three times within a week or two in April - May’ 22 My previous Subaru Outback 2014 had same issues and I had replaced that battery three three times within a year ! Accused garage of selling me old batteries and used parts!
Incident date: Sep 12, 2018
Vehicle only has 42,000 miles and I'm already on my 2nd replacement battery. Continuous battery drain by the Controller Area Network (CAN) causes premature/sudden battery failure. My battery is already groaning on morning starts and the temps are only in the 40s. Subaru needs to correct the problem, not just help pay for replacement batteries. There's no telling where you'll be when the battery di... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated after starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R). The contact stated that the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was “COLD” even after she had driv... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2022
My windshield cracked when I used the washer fluid. It cracked from the bottom where the VIN number is and continued across the windshield. I went to the Subaru dealer in Portage Indiana, to have it fixed under the extended warranty I received from Subaru for faulty windshields the dealer told me that it cracked in the wrong spot, and would not be covered. The dealer agreed that the windshield ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
Battery went dead had it charged - went dead shortly after. Replaced battery and within a year of replacing with a brand new battery it is dead again. Car was on side of the road where I parked it. There is a Class action suit on the battery life but if we need to keep doing this every year or so that is a problem. Called the dealer to see if there is anything they can do to alleviate the prob... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
When I braked downhill the main brake line, from front to rear, ruptured underneath in the middle of the Subaru. This car came from Wisconsin and apparently had a lot of rust, caused by salt, affecting the steel brake lines. Subaru calls Wisconsin the Salt Belt. I could avoid an accident, using the parking brake. I looked up recalls recently and learned that 2 recalls have been offered by Subaru.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2022
Vehicle was taken to a dealer to perform warranty work related to Subaru MSB 16-136-22R on 7/6/2022, at mileage 18,317. Owner was experiencing vibrations and noise on turns during acceleration, first noticed a month earlier, which was steadily becoming worse, causing concern about the safety or possible failure of the vehicle. Dealer confirmed this problem existed in the multiple plate transfer ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while the vehicle was under yearly inspection, she was informed that the subframe was corroded. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the stabilizer bar, the rocker panels, and the cross members to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic and made ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Front windshield spontaneous cracking from defroster area in a "J" shape. This is the second windshield since new to do this (2021 model). Available for inspection. The first windshield was inspected and replaced by Subaru at their cost minus eyesight recalibration (ADAS). First windshield was inspected by insurance and no impact point was found and was notified to contact dealer before filing a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Front windshield spontaneous cracking from defroster area in a "J" shape. This is the second windshield since new to do this (2021 model). Available for inspection. The first windshield was inspected and replaced by Subaru at their cost minus eyesight recalibration (ADAS). First windshield was inspected by insurance and no impact point was found and was notified to contact dealer before filing a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Front windshield spontaneous cracking from defroster area in a "J" shape. This is the second windshield since new to do this (2021 model). Available for inspection. The first windshield was inspected and replaced by Subaru at their cost minus eyesight recalibration (ADAS). First windshield was inspected by insurance and no impact point was found and was notified to contact dealer before filing a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
Faulty transmission, erratic gear shifting and now it seems the transmission is no longer working, mileage on vehicle is not even 130,000.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
SRS airbag light with and without passenger in front passenger seat. Brought to dealer for diagnostic and code B1650 is coming up.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
SRS airbag light with and without passenger in front passenger seat. Brought to dealer for diagnostic and code B1650 is coming up.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2020
I have had to replace battery sooner than it should have. Also, it seems to be causing an electrical issue with the computer board where all the dashboard warnings are blanking. I have been disconnecting the battery and reconnecting to reset the computer board.