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: Jan 13, 2023
My airbag light comes on than goes off for a bit than comes on for a few months With only 1200 miles I needed braces and rotors , since the metal used was rusted out and worn
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Odyssey equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Defender XT, Tire Size: 225/60R16, DOT Number: AP3V047X. The contact stated while replacing the driver's and passenger's side front tires, the contact noticed chunks of tread detaching from the tires. The tire retailer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was caused by driving on grave... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
To whom this may,I been having problems with check engine light keep coming on,I'm paying alot of money on this car,it could be that recall hose on back order causing that check engine light to come on,please HELP!!!!!!
Incident date: Jan 9, 2023
Speaker Issue: When starting the truck, after about 3 seconds of sitting in the truck, the speakers made a really loud pop noise and then continued to make a loud static noise and cracking noise for the duration of my 15 minute drive home. If this happened on the freeway, it may traumatize someone or cause an accident. The problem has happened twice but it is not been replicable for a dealer or... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2023
Speaker Issue: When starting the truck, after about 3 seconds of sitting in the truck, the speakers made a really loud pop noise and then continued to make a loud static noise and cracking noise for the duration of my 15 minute drive home. If this happened on the freeway, it may traumatize someone or cause an accident. The problem has happened twice but it is not been replicable for a dealer or... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2022
-driving at moderate pace between 30 and 40 mph when vehicle engine shut off without warning. loss of power, no steering and all warning lights illuminated. difficulty getting vehicle over to side of road so not in way of traffic. braking was difficult once on side of road.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the trunk failed to open while pressing the unlock button on the rear door, the unlock button inside the vehicle, and the unlock button on the key fob. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there were groceries in the trunk, and he was unable to retrieve the groceries due to the failure. Additionally, the conta... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2022
brake line fitting leaking at the main line pressure fitting. this caused brake fluid to leak out and loss of brakes occured.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 16V352000 (Air Bags) and 05V034000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the failure occurred after the recall repairs were performed. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the dashboard wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
On December 14th, I was driving my 2017 Ram 3500 with 95,000 miles down the road when I encountered a tree completely blocking the roadway. When I applied the brakes I heard a pop and the brake pedal went the the floor. At this point I had no brakes and was forced to hit the tree. Thankfully it was in a rural area and no one was killed because of the failure. My safety was defiantly put at risk be... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
•Driver’s window failing to properly and completing retract. This has been particularly troublesome in the bitter cold of Northern Minnesota. On each visit to Subaru I have requested that the window be repaired. All efforts have been unsuccessful. •Battery failure without cause or prior warning signs. On previous visits the Service Center failed to address and resolve the battery proble... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
Error message states, trailer brakes disabled service required As your towing truck will disable trailer breaks took to gm dealer and simply stated there is no fix right now. This is unsafe when in tow to not have trailer breaks. Gm know and dealer hasn't fixed new truck tons of gm bulletin on this issue.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
Steering wheel stuck in Up Position
Incident date: Sep 10, 2022
For one, my windshield cracked out of nowhere, I didn’t know that windshields were having issues at the time, so I had to replace it on my own without contacting the dealership. Other issues include the front windows not going up all the way from time to time. The info system crashes and shuts down from time to time too, which leads to the Eyesight to shutdown temporarily too. And from time to t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2022
My vehicle VIN [XXX] shown "no unprepared recalls". However I saw that there was a past recall for this vehicle. The recall dealt with the digital instrument cluster which gives data on engine management, safety features such as ABS systems, and other safety items. I do not believe my vehicle had ever been repaired. My digital instrument system flashes on and off and many times, as all day t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2022
My vehicle VIN [XXX] shown "no unprepared recalls". However I saw that there was a past recall for this vehicle. The recall dealt with the digital instrument cluster which gives data on engine management, safety features such as ABS systems, and other safety items. I do not believe my vehicle had ever been repaired. My digital instrument system flashes on and off and many times, as all day t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2023
"Steering Assist Fault" and Lane Keeping Sys. Malfunction" faults appeared on my dash display. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. When the faults lit up, I was unable to steer the vehicle. It was as if the steering was completely locked up. Fortunately I was driving down the driveway at the time and was able to stop before entering the roadway. If this would have faulted wh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
When shifting the vehicle into park and attempting to turn off car, vehicle will give a message on dash “shift to park” when the vehicle is already in park. This issue can cause possible rolling of vehicle for not properly being in park. Power draining due to instruments not shutting down properly. Possible theft of vehicle due to vehicle not locking while exiting. You have to remove from park... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the third -row passenger’s side seat was not properly secured to the floor of the vehicle. The contact indicated that an unknown part used to attach the seat to the floor had fractured and the seat was no longer secured to the floor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the unknown part needed to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2022
Significant phantom braking issues on two lane highways like US95 in NV. The vision system cannot reliably tell if something is in the road or not when there clearly is nothing, cars or objects. Unclear if my 2018 if the radar is still active, but the vision software cheats I believe by using traffic in front to know the road is clear, but when there is no traffic on a rural highway, it panic stop... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
Car stalling at stops. Received a report on all work done on this car stating issues with catalytic converter and that Subaru repaired before I bought the car. I also had loss of all brakes when the lines leaked out November 2022 . I had brakes repaired cost of $1000.so far since buying this car I have not been able to drive the car because of the stalling issues.
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the exterior lights failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the headlamps and brake light bulbs had been changed approximately 2 - 3 times per year. Additionally, the horn failed to sound off while being depressed. The contact stated that the oil pressure warning light failed to illumi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the exterior lights failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the headlamps and brake light bulbs had been changed approximately 2 - 3 times per year. Additionally, the horn failed to sound off while being depressed. The contact stated that the oil pressure warning light failed to illumi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
I have a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban that had an issue with the brakes not wanting to stop the vehicle at slow speeds. Several times when we pulled into our garage or a parking space the vehicle would want to glide instead of stopping. I've had several parts replaced and am now hoping the problem is fixed. just picked the car up today from repair shop.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
This car has experienced paint issues due to poor bonding of the primer. The paint is literally peeling off the car in sheets. It has been going on for the last 1.5 years , and Kia states that it is not their problem. I have worked patiently with them for almost a year as they have instructed me to go, and get paint estimates. After this was completed they then stated the case was determined “ N... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
Suv stalled and everything shut off and could not start ! It has happened twice and have had it in dealership and they cannot find the problem. Battery’s has been replaced but I believe its electrical!
Incident date: Jan 8, 2023
My 2007 Chevy duramax diesel 2500 PICK UP TRUCK has now had the Pitman arm break 3 times which left me while driving with complete steering loss. My truck is at Silveira Chevy in Sonoma CA. 95476. They replaced the Pittman arm with the same one that has failed 3 times. I believe that my truck has a bad lift kit installed. And incorrect aftermarket parts installed. I purchased my truck brand new ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
On Friday, December 9, 2022, the heating element in the driver side seat burned through the cushion, burned a hole in my coat, and burned my right leg. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. Thursday, January 5, 2023, the service department at Kia confirmed the heated seat element had gotten too hot and burned through the seat. Service personnel said the part that needed to be replac... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with the ONSTAR/GPS, turn-by-turn driving directions activated, there was an unknown notification flashing on the instrument panel and radio. The speedometer was obstructed and failed to work as needed. The screen sporadically went blank. While depressing the dismiss button on the steering wheel, the butto... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
Tesla Suspensions system squeaking problems is well known among the Tesla owners community and Tesla wouldn’t do anything about it. I bought my vehicle in 12/2019 and have brought it in at least 4 times to get the squeaky noise fix and at least 2 more times complaining about it. That’s 6 times in the span of 2 years. Tesla is well aware of the issue but couldn’t find a solution. When sch... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed a burning odor and smoke coming from the vents into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that he pulled apart the heater and noticed that the wiring had melted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact tha... 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 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: 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 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 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: 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