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 23, 2022
Automatic braking system failed and led to a front end collision immediately a fire broke out under the hood and accelerated into the car with in minutes using a tire iron the passenger door was forced opened Air bags deployed (3) and seat belt held
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 23, 2022
Automatic braking system failed and led to a front end collision immediately a fire broke out under the hood and accelerated into the car with in minutes using a tire iron the passenger door was forced opened Air bags deployed (3) and seat belt held
Crash
Fire
1 injured
SUBARU
B9 TRIBECA
(2008) — TIRES
Mar 7, 2022
Incident date: Mar 7, 2019
255/55R18 After 2 weeks of driving on new tires my tire light would not turn off. I have taken my vehicle back to dealer to repair issue multiple times only to have the same thing happen. After 1 year of driving on this tire the sidewalls are cracked to the point the DOT# is illegible. Tires should last longer than 7500 miles and 1 year. I have attempted to have the place of business I made the pu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2021
The vehicle has experience numerous times now, and has been to the dealer for repairs regarding an unanticipated loss of all ability to accelerate or maintain speed until the vehicle is shutdown and restarted. This has caused significant stress when traveling on a fast moving freeway in the fast lane and then having to quickly get to the shoulder to "power-cycle" the vehicle. The dealer has seen t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
Raw fuel smell inside cabin of card when cold outside
Incident date: Apr 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing frequent battery failure. The contact stated before the battery failed, the check battery warning light was illuminated. The contact had replaced the battery three times within five years. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
I was driving home from work when the windshield cracked from the bottom of the passenger side right by the windshield wiper and now has spiraled up
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
Windshield cracked for not apparent reason. Parked car, places visor up, came back to car, took visor down and immediately noticed the crack. I do not remember any rocks hitting the windshield at that spot and I did not notice it at all until this morning when returning to my car. Very unusual.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
The battery dies sporadically when the car has been parked for a short time or a day or two. No telling when it will happen, but suddenly the car will not start. Subaru dealer says there's nothing wrong, but obviously there is. This has happened three times already, once in 25- degree weather with a 15-degree wind chill. I have checked all the lights and keep the headlights turned off, as I don'... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
Battery drains too quickly. Lots of corrosion on battery terminals. Corrosion builds up over very short period of time. Risk of car not starting when needed. No warning lamps, or messages have come up. Battery problem could be related to other electronic issues like automatic windows, and cabin lights problems.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
I bought this car on 3/1/22 from a dealer, and took it for several test drives - everything was great. Carfax report is clean. On 3/3/22, I was driving on a windy road with cliffs and ledges, 45 mph when all of a sudden the brakes slammed, the tires screeched, and I heard grinding. Every alarm went off and the car fishtailed and skidded over to the side - almost going off the side of the road. Eve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
I bought this car on 3/1/22 from a dealer, and took it for several test drives - everything was great. Carfax report is clean. On 3/3/22, I was driving on a windy road with cliffs and ledges, 45 mph when all of a sudden the brakes slammed, the tires screeched, and I heard grinding. Every alarm went off and the car fishtailed and skidded over to the side - almost going off the side of the road. Eve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
I bought this car on 3/1/22 from a dealer, and took it for several test drives - everything was great. Carfax report is clean. On 3/3/22, I was driving on a windy road with cliffs and ledges, 45 mph when all of a sudden the brakes slammed, the tires screeched, and I heard grinding. Every alarm went off and the car fishtailed and skidded over to the side - almost going off the side of the road. Eve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
We are original owners. Starting a month ago, after car sat for a couple of days, battery was 100% discharged. Jump started and drove for 30 minutes, then parked. Two days later, battery 100% discharged. Since original battery, had tested and shown to be weak. Bought and installed new battery. Three days of not being driven later, new battery 100% discharged. Unsafe in that, we could be left... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2022
Two windshields cracked in 6 years - this is a safety issue that should not happen.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2022
I went to my car and saw a 6”+ crack on it. The car was parked in a parking lot.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The windshield developed a spontaneous crack on its top middle, around the the rear view mirror. The crack was noticed when I came entered the car as it was parked in my driveway. The crack is approximately 10 inches long. There is no obvious cause for the crack--- no chips or dings on the windshield; mild temperatures, not running the AC or heat. The crack appears to have occurred while the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The Roll Connector Harness failed, and use of the horn was disabled. It is due to the mechanical steering of the vehicle, and fails over time. As a multiple Subaru owner this has been a topic of safety with most of the owners with 2014 Subarus. Subaru changed the design/engineering of this part in 2016 due to the concern. Because they won't issue a recall, and the cost of repair is high ($400+... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The Roll Connector Harness failed, and use of the horn was disabled. It is due to the mechanical steering of the vehicle, and fails over time. As a multiple Subaru owner this has been a topic of safety with most of the owners with 2014 Subarus. Subaru changed the design/engineering of this part in 2016 due to the concern. Because they won't issue a recall, and the cost of repair is high ($400+... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The Roll Connector Harness failed, and use of the horn was disabled. It is due to the mechanical steering of the vehicle, and fails over time. As a multiple Subaru owner this has been a topic of safety with most of the owners with 2014 Subarus. Subaru changed the design/engineering of this part in 2016 due to the concern. Because they won't issue a recall, and the cost of repair is high ($400+... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise and noticed a small crack on the driver’s side windshield. The contact stated that the following day while approaching the vehicle, the crack had expanded across the windshield horizontally to the passenger’s side. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2015
Extremely high, abnormal parasitic draining of my battery, in my 2015 Legacy whenever vehicle is not running. This parasitic drain on battery will leave you stranded, if parked for a few days, causing a safety issue, as you can imagine. I always connect and use a battery tender/maintainer with hood up, after every time I use car, when I return car to garage. If I did not have a garage, I would hav... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2022
Continental Pro Contact P 225/ 60 R 17 Driver side tire sidewall formed large bubble. Purchased in November 2021 and had dealer install 4 tires. Noticed large sidewall bubble on sidewall in January 2022. Only three thousand miles on tire. Worried that this is a lifethreatening safety issue. We brought the car back to the dealer. We were told they have not seen anything like it on a Suba... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
Exhaust pipe cracked - same issue as indicated in Recall WUJ-95. Exhaust fumes leaking could be harmful to those riding in the car. Problem has been confirmed by an independent repair shop. No - the car was loud and I took it in to be looked at my independent car repair shop. I am not sure how recalls get started, but it seems that it should be looked into for this model year as well since it i... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2014) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 4, 2022
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
The problem occurs during a yaw under all the following conditions: * Slippery surface (snow/ice/heavy rain) * highway speeds (>45mph) * CEL lit for P000A and/or P000C (camshaft position sensor slow response) When the car yaws in these conditions, Vehicle Dynamic Control applies the brakes on the inside of the yaw (rightward yaw = brakes on right side, leftward yaw = brakes on left side), worsen... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH while pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle lurched forward. The contact stated that she heard the engine revving but did not notice any warning lights. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failur... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
My mirror on my car has started melting. They told me it was a outside force, from a lighter. I told them it was electrical or something wrong from the inside of the mirror. There are forums recently posted up regarding this and Subaru has ignored them all claiming it is reflective light from the sun. That they can’t do anything about it. Others have replaced their mirrors 3 times now. This is a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
My mirror on my car has started melting. They told me it was a outside force, from a lighter. I told them it was electrical or something wrong from the inside of the mirror. There are forums recently posted up regarding this and Subaru has ignored them all claiming it is reflective light from the sun. That they can’t do anything about it. Others have replaced their mirrors 3 times now. This is a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
My mirror on my car has started melting. They told me it was a outside force, from a lighter. I told them it was electrical or something wrong from the inside of the mirror. There are forums recently posted up regarding this and Subaru has ignored them all claiming it is reflective light from the sun. That they can’t do anything about it. Others have replaced their mirrors 3 times now. This is a... Read more
SUBARU
B9 TRIBECA
(2008) — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Mar 4, 2022
Incident date: Feb 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru B9 Tribeca. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front hood erroneously opened and slammed into the front windshield causing the windshield to shatter. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V0600... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that upon entering his vehicle after a light snowstorm, he noticed a vertical crack had from the bottom passenger’s side of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack had expanded further up the windshield and obstructed his vision while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and claimed they never heard of such a failu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
Windshield has a long crack in it that begins under the passenger side windshield wiper. There are no signs of impact whatsoever. First noticed the crack in early January of 2022. Initially, it was a small crack, however, within hours it grew to the driver side. I noticed the initial crack when I was parking and the crack grew without me moving my vehicle or driving it.
Incident date: May 12, 2021
During a photography trip of May 2021, in a very remote area, the Outback's rear gate was kept opened for my dog for a few hours. When it was time to leave, the battery wouldn't start. Luckily, I had a battery charger. There was nobody present to help in this area and no mobile phone service available. Later in the day, the battery died again, under the same circumstance. We were fortunate to hav... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was drained very quickly, which caused the contact to frequently recharge the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 720. The consumer st... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
drove car to appointment, when tried to start just a few minutes later, vehicle was unresponsive anything electtrical would not work, had to be jumped off
Incident date: Feb 17, 2022
Windshield cracked spontaneously without impact. Upon further investigation, this is a common issue observed with Subaru on multiple models from previous and current years. There has been a couple of class action lawsuits against Subaru in other states for the same issue, and both cases were ruled in favor of the plaintiff and the court deemed these windshield defective. My concern and question is... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
A very short time, only weeks after new purchase, a very small rock impact resulted in large crack across entire windshield. Replaced with very costly genuine branded Subaru Replacement Part. 6 Months into the new windshield, while parked and without any impact, crack formed from the edge to the center of the windshield.
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2013) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 2, 2022
Incident date: Feb 28, 2022
Unable to remove key from Ignition when placed in Park
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2013) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 2, 2022
Incident date: Feb 28, 2022
Unable to remove key from Ignition when placed in Park
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the fan switch failed to operate at high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fan switch had burned and melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. The dealer stated they had seen t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
Front windshield crack for no reason.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery had drained while parked overnight on several occasion. The contact had experienced the failure approximately seven times. The battery would be jumpstarted and the vehicle would operate as needed. The low battery warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery had drained while parked overnight on several occasion. The contact had experienced the failure approximately seven times. The battery would be jumpstarted and the vehicle would operate as needed. The low battery warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle stalled and then went into sleep mode. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle also experience... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle stalled and then went into sleep mode. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle also experience... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle stalled and then went into sleep mode. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle also experience... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Battery dead not even 2 years old. Known problem they won't fix. Lane assist was pulling us into other traffic lanes when wasn't supposed to almost causing accidents and now won't turn on
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Battery dead not even 2 years old. Known problem they won't fix. Lane assist was pulling us into other traffic lanes when wasn't supposed to almost causing accidents and now won't turn on
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon defrosting the windshield and clearing it from the heavy ice that had collected on the windshield during an ice storm, he noticed that there was a 30-inch long crack at the bottom of the windshield. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2022
I have been impacted by the issue with Subaru batteries. They drain when the car is not running and cause the vehicle to not start. I have replaced my battery multiple times now. This is a known issue with Subaru vehicles and is also the subject of a class action lawsuit against Subaru of North America.