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: Apr 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while entering the vehicle she noticed that the front windshield was cracked and pitted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield was fractured on the lower passenger side and had since migrated towards the middle of the windshield. The fracture measured approximately 8-inches long. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure milea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
This 2019 Crosstrek dangerously malfunctioned. When driving at 75 MPH on the highway it went into in neutral, then it would not go in reverse, and in park it revved to 75 MPH, ultimately it would not start. Based on many codes the car was indicating, the Subaru mechanic tried to replace a cable that communicates the computer to the transmission (turbine?), it did not solve the problem. It has b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
The automatic braking system engaged at highway speed while changing lanes with no other vehicle or object in front of the vehicle. I was accelerating to change lanes when the sensor started beeping and the car slammed on the brakes causing a sliding skid. I was able to maintain control and fortunately there was no one behind me. I believe the eyesight control malfunctioned. I do not believe this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2022
The crack at the lower right side of the windshield spontaneously appeared and grew to 12 inches in 9 days & keeps on growing.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
I found the windshield cracked for no reason.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
Electrical defect in recent Subarus causes parasitic battery drain when the car is not in use. Our battery drained to the point that the vehicle couldn’t start without a jump due to this defect.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System module failed which also disabled the key fob remotes. I had the TPMS module replaced 3 times. The first occurrence was on August 26th 2021 and was confirmed by the dealership Subaru Service Center. During the failure and malfunction of the module, the dashboard warned about not to drive because there is problems with the tires and key fob not working. This worr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System module failed which also disabled the key fob remotes. I had the TPMS module replaced 3 times. The first occurrence was on August 26th 2021 and was confirmed by the dealership Subaru Service Center. During the failure and malfunction of the module, the dashboard warned about not to drive because there is problems with the tires and key fob not working. This worr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System module failed which also disabled the key fob remotes. I had the TPMS module replaced 3 times. The first occurrence was on August 26th 2021 and was confirmed by the dealership Subaru Service Center. During the failure and malfunction of the module, the dashboard warned about not to drive because there is problems with the tires and key fob not working. This worr... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
BATTERY GOES DEAD AFTER A SERIES OF SHORT TRIPS. HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE. DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, STRANDING DRIVER IN POTENTIALLY UNSAFE AREAS.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
DRIVE TRAIN, TRANSMISSION ISSUE. CAR WAS RUNNING, IN PARK. I GOT OUT TO PICK UP A FLYER FROM YARD. CAR ACCELERATED AND DROVE THROUGH GARAGE DOOR, AND CRASHED INTO THE BACK WALL OF GARAGE. NO ONE HAS INSPECTED THE CAR, AS IT HAPPENED LATE YESTERDAY. WILL CONTACT DEALERSHIP TODAY. NO SYMPTOMS PRIOR.
Crash
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
I have replaced the battery 3 times since June 2020. The car battery dies after the car has sat for 8-12 days. We have had to get it jumped, towed and called an on call roadside service to replace.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2022
The contact's wife owns a 2021 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a diagonal crack had formed on the bottom driver’s side of the windshield without incident. The contact then stated that the crack rapidly spread to the upper driver’s side of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack obstructed his wife's vision while driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notif... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
6 month old car with 8000 miles windshield cracked from right passenger side top down and across middle, approximately 18” long crack now with no sign of and damage or impact to the windshield.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
2017 Subaru Outback windshield breaks when a small rock hits it. This is the 4th times happen to our Vehicle and a very expensive cost to replace it about $1000. We are very upset about it.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
My windshield cracked for no apparent reason (no impact) - in the bottom quarter of the passenger side. The crack spread, requiring replacement of the windshield. I had Subaru replace the windshield. Exactly one week later, the new windshield cracked in exactly the same place. It, too will require replacement.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that a small circular crack had formed on the lower driver’s side windshield without incident. The contact stated that she had not repaired the small crack since it did not obstruct her vison. Recently, the contact stated that another crack had formed horizontally along the lower edge of the passenger’s side windshield, also without inc... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
The engine will randomly loose power. This has happened three times now. You must coast to a stop, turn the key off and try to restart the car. Sometime it will take several tries to restart. I see this as a real safety concern in heavy traffic. Especially so if heavy traffic makes it impossible to reach the side of the road safely. The service code points to the throttle peddle position sens... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
The engine will randomly loose power. This has happened three times now. You must coast to a stop, turn the key off and try to restart the car. Sometime it will take several tries to restart. I see this as a real safety concern in heavy traffic. Especially so if heavy traffic makes it impossible to reach the side of the road safely. The service code points to the throttle peddle position sens... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
I have had this vehicle since @ 6/30/21, under 4,000 miles. Sometimes when I'm driving, the car will suddenly brake or lurch when I am not near another object or person. I drove down the highway once when this happened and it was very concerning. I have also been in the middle of an intersection when this occurred, as I was turning left. It has happened approximately 10 other times since I've had ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
I have had this vehicle since @ 6/30/21, under 4,000 miles. Sometimes when I'm driving, the car will suddenly brake or lurch when I am not near another object or person. I drove down the highway once when this happened and it was very concerning. I have also been in the middle of an intersection when this occurred, as I was turning left. It has happened approximately 10 other times since I've had ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
A large crack spontaneously formed on the front windshield, starting from the left wiper motor to the middle -- right in the driver's field-of-view. The crack appeared on a day when my car was not driven for several days prior to the crack forming and security cameras showed no foul play by pedestrians. The crack has since spread into a "spider-like" crack once it reached the center of the windshi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the front windshield cracked. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2022
The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH on the interstate, a deer jumped in front causing a crash. All the air bags deployed, and immediately soon after a fire was coming from the hood. The contact and two children in the rear passenger seat were able to exit the vehicle safely. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fi... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Oct 17, 2020
The battery has gone dead 4 (four) times. The dealer checked it twice and said nothing was wrong with it. We have had to replace the battery ($178.07) but it also went dead. Three times, the car was in our garage, had been driven within a couple of days and the keys were not left in the car. Once it died when I had driven to the next town and had popped into a store for not more than 10 minutes an... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2020
The battery has gone dead 4 (four) times. The dealer checked it twice and said nothing was wrong with it. We have had to replace the battery ($178.07) but it also went dead. Three times, the car was in our garage, had been driven within a couple of days and the keys were not left in the car. Once it died when I had driven to the next town and had popped into a store for not more than 10 minutes an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
My windshield cracked as I was driving,a pop type noise. The cracks are at the bottom area in the middle of the windshield in a T slight Y shape.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
There is a defect with the windshield, it randomly cracked. I saw there was a lawsuit filed already with Subaru.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle overnight, the next morning it was discovered that the front windshield had developed a ten-inch-long crack. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the windshield to crack. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
When backing out of garage, car seemed to rev up and increase speed. I was unable to stop the car while applying the brakes. Car went down over an embankment and stopped only after I put transmission into Park and car was slowed down by running over a large shrub. Luckily, I was unhurt, but easily could have been. This is the second time a similar incident has happened. I have not reported th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
When backing out of garage, car seemed to rev up and increase speed. I was unable to stop the car while applying the brakes. Car went down over an embankment and stopped only after I put transmission into Park and car was slowed down by running over a large shrub. Luckily, I was unhurt, but easily could have been. This is the second time a similar incident has happened. I have not reported th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
When backing out of garage, car seemed to rev up and increase speed. I was unable to stop the car while applying the brakes. Car went down over an embankment and stopped only after I put transmission into Park and car was slowed down by running over a large shrub. Luckily, I was unhurt, but easily could have been. This is the second time a similar incident has happened. I have not reported th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, a tiny rock struck the windshield. The contact stated that later that day while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that the windshield was cracked. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the windshield. The vehicle was taken to a glass repair facility and the windsh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD VARIOUS SAFETY DEFECT ISSUES INCLUDING A RECALL FOR LOW FUEL PROGRAMMING, LOW GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION IN THE BRAKES, AND VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD VARIOUS ELECTRONIC ISSUES INCLUDING GLITCHES WITH THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, STEREO WOULD FREEZE, SPEAKERS WERE OUT OF... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
Passenger side seat occupancy sensor failed to recognize the occupancy of the passenger seat. Sensor seams to have failed causing the airbag malfunction light to illuminate on the dash. After considerable research online this seems to be a consistent problem with these vehicles. The NHTSA has issued a recall for the same sensor in 2012 Subaru Imprezas but not for the 2013 Subaru Imprezas.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. The contact stated that there was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack in the windshield. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2022
Two days after purchasing my 2022 Subaru Outback, the windshield cracked after a tractor trailer kicked up a small pebble on the interstate. The crack spread half way across the windshield within a few days.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2021
Windshield spontaneously cracked.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
I have had four cracked windshields since I took possession of the car in October 2020. August 2021, October 2021, April 2022, April 2022
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
Having the car less than a year already have several chips on the windshield. In doing research it seems that there are a lot of issues with new Subaru windshields with chipping and cracking.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2022
For the 2nd time in 5 months, my windshield has cracked (crack in excess of 6 inches) for no apparent reason
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was parking the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle accelerated forward going down a hill. The vines from the woods prevented the vehicle from going into a lake. The contact’s wife later received medical attention for an injury to her left leg. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 11, 2022
Battery keeps dying, replaced once already battery keeps draining, Simmons Rockwell Subaru of Elmira NY stated that the battery on the subaru won't last a week if the car isn't driven.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
Noticed a 6 inch crack on passenger side starting under the wiper. Crack started spreading across the windshield, now about 18 inches long.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
Windshield cracked while parked overnight.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
The windshield cracked 1 week after purchasing the vehicle. This glass is too fragile.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2022
On Sunday 4/3/2022, driving in a semi highway at 50mph the front passenger suspension arm broke off causing a lose of control of the vehicle. Ended up resting at the road shoulder.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
My 2020 Subaru crosstrek has repeatedly had its windshield crack for little to no reason. I have noticed my windshield crack in a similar spot (near the vin number area) multiple times with no incidents where a rock or other debris struck the windshield. This provides a visual distraction and safety issue while driving.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2021
The battery drains quickly when the car is switched off, potentially causing the driver to be stranded in dangerous situations without a functional car.