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: Dec 30, 2021
The windshield has had 3 different pressure cracks (there's never been any evidence of a chip or impact) and the cracks have all appeared spontaneously. The cracks spread quickly and end up having to be replaced. The first crack was in May 2018, the second was in March 2020, and the 3rd (most recent) happened December 30, 2021.
SUBARU
OUTBACK
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:CONNECTORS/PLUGS:ACCESORY POWER OUTLET/JACK/PORT/USB/SAE/CIGARETTE LIGHTER
Dec 30, 2021
Incident date: Apr 30, 2021
The TomTom navigation system quits unexpectedly while driving and if the Adaptive Cruise Control is on it will stop working and the car will begin to slow down. The computer screen will go black and then a message will come on saying the Navigation System is starting. The system will then reboot. This has been reported to Subaru and Subaru tried to replicate the problem at the dealership, but t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2021
The TomTom navigation system quits unexpectedly while driving and if the Adaptive Cruise Control is on it will stop working and the car will begin to slow down. The computer screen will go black and then a message will come on saying the Navigation System is starting. The system will then reboot. This has been reported to Subaru and Subaru tried to replicate the problem at the dealership, but t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2021
Battery will not start car.
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery would become drained after three days of the vehicle not being driven. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that the failure was not due to the battery. The contact stated that the vehicle was still being driven however, after being parked for several days the battery had to be recharged befor... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery drained quickly, and the vehicle had to be jumpstarted after three days. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
The left side of drivers seat collapsed. Upon inspection, the metal tab that was spot welded to the seat frame failed. The metal tab connects the left front of the seat to the power seat motor components and rail. The power seat no longer works and the seat sags noticeably to the front left. This failure occurred during normal driving conditions, and is typically not overloaded (the primary driver... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2014) — HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 30, 2021
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Check Hybrid System" message was displayed on the instrument panel before the hybrid system shut off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with high voltage battery failure due to the battery being filled with water. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
On November 15, 2021 my car was in the garage as normal. I started my car and I heard a "pop" I was headed out my driveway is when I notice a crack at the bottom of the windshield that is about 3" high and then curves for about 4".
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
Replacement battery in under 35,000 mile Subaru discharged while sitting in garage for several weeks. There have been zero earlier problems with electrical system other than the original battery dying after about three years. When jump started the charging system seemed to work and the car started after sitting overnight. We are in a very cold northern environment and if the vehicle will not star... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Windshield cracked overnight in garage without any driving or other incident Crack is over 12 inches long
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated on multiple occasions both the front passenger’s and driver’s side window had become stuck and would not close or open. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the window regulators and window tracks were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated on multiple occasions both the front passenger’s and driver’s side window had become stuck and would not close or open. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the window regulators and window tracks were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
1.) Headlights. They are extremely bright to oncoming traffic and oncoming traffic is always flashing or beaming you with their high beams as they think your brights are on when they are not. This is dangerous. Also LED lights do not put off enough heat and the headlamp body itself freezes over in cold rain or snowy conditions severely reducing your ability to see during low light situations. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
1.) Headlights. They are extremely bright to oncoming traffic and oncoming traffic is always flashing or beaming you with their high beams as they think your brights are on when they are not. This is dangerous. Also LED lights do not put off enough heat and the headlamp body itself freezes over in cold rain or snowy conditions severely reducing your ability to see during low light situations. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 1991 Subaru Loyale equipped with a replacement CV-axle from Master Pro, Part Number: SB8003. The contact indicated that while driving in reverse, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving and would not drive forward or backwards. The vehicle was towed to the residence and examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the CV-axle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The hood seems to malfunction in the following manner: When driving at or over 65mph or in high, gusty winds, the hood seems to "wobble" around excessively. It has not come loose, and I've had the dealer look at it and they say it is OK. As an experienced mechanical engineer, I am not confident that failure will not happen as I've never observed this kind of hood wobble on any other large vehic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2017
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, he heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the driver’s side wheel bearing had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
Front Windshield has started cracking from the middle top by the rear view mirror and is steadily getting larger making it's way toward driver side of windshield, there is also a chip by the passenger side of windshield
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
Front Windshield has started cracking from the middle top by the rear view mirror and is steadily getting larger making it's way toward driver side of windshield, there is also a chip by the passenger side of windshield
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
Liftgate open for tailgating party. Battery drained despite NO lights being on at all. This should NOT happen. Left me (50yo woman) and 3 kids stranded in a very bad part of town.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
Liftgate open for tailgating party. Battery drained despite NO lights being on at all. This should NOT happen. Left me (50yo woman) and 3 kids stranded in a very bad part of town.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
The windshield has a crack that has grown exponentially. It seems to be very susceptible to impact cracks and chips.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
The windshield has spontaneously developed a crack that begins at the bottom center edge and has advanced about 18 inches at this point, and is visibly advancing daily.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
Today I replaced my windshield for the second time in less than 6 months of owning the vehicle. The first crack happened a few months after I bought the car with no impact while driving. The second one also happened a couple weeks ago with no impact while driving. After seeing the other complaints, I'm shocked that there isn't a recall on these windshields. It's very dangerous to have windshields ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2021
Outback 2015 Windshield cracked with no obvious reason even at about 30 mph.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2021
Outback 2015 Windshield cracked with no obvious reason even at about 30 mph.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
2019 Subaru Ascent purchased new. The car only has about 25,000 miles on it now. I have had several incidents when driving on a curved road about 30 miles an hour the transmission jerks and causes the whole car to shudder abruptly sevral times in a row. Also when backing up and I completely stop the car before putting into drve, it jerks and makes a load noise. I have had the car into the Subar... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
2019 Subaru Ascent purchased new. Auto has about 25,000 miles on it now. When driving at highway speeds the hood vibrates and shakes especially when there is a crosswind. This will damage the latch and cause the hood to fly open when driving at this speed which cold be dangerous. Called two Subaru dealers and they say that is normal. I have owned several cars and this is not normal.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
My Subaru Ascent 2019 is 2.5 years old. The windshield has developed a crack on its own on a long drive. The crack first appeared at the bottom of windshield near front passenger seat, and has started spreading sideways towards driver side in a zig-zag fashion. It's about 10 inches long now. I called Subaru service center and informed them about the crack. The service center said one of their mana... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2021
On four occasions over the past five months my car needed a jump start for no apparent reason. I had a new Subaru battery installed last July, and a check up at a Subaru dealer last month which found no problems with the battery or alternator. I recently read about a battery drainage problem that other owners of this model have been experiencing as well.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
Battery dies when parked for a few days or not driven enough. Needs to be jumped several times per week.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
Battery loses charge overnight for no reason. New battery placed in vehicle and same issue still present.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2021
When driving the vehicle the engine was not getting enough power and it was shifting oddly. I took it in and was told there was excessive carbon buildup on the heads, and there is not a good fix for the problem. Without having the engine torn apart this could of caused the car to not speed up properly or the engine to malfunction while driving the vehicle. This could have caused serious injuries ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2021
The windshield cracked without any reason, at the top by the passenger side. The initial crack was approximately a foot and it has since grown and is moving horizontally across the windshield. It is available for inspection. This happened while the car was parked.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
8 days ago I replaced the battery on this car as the lights/radio would come on but it would not start. Today the car is totally dead. It will have to be towed to the dealer whenever the towing companies can get around to it. I believe this one of the vehicles like those in the class action lawsuit.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
Windshield easily getting chips and pits affecting visibility and now a crack from, a small pebble.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The EyeSight system will randomly not load at times and need to be reset for Rear Automatic Braking and other EyeSight safety features to become available. This usually only occurs within 30 seconds of engine startup but always occurs when plugging in a phone with Android Auto (a phone with Apple Car Play has never been used for verification). Warning message is displayed on driver's side messag... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The EyeSight system will randomly not load at times and need to be reset for Rear Automatic Braking and other EyeSight safety features to become available. This usually only occurs within 30 seconds of engine startup but always occurs when plugging in a phone with Android Auto (a phone with Apple Car Play has never been used for verification). Warning message is displayed on driver's side messag... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
The EyeSight system will randomly not load at times and need to be reset for Rear Automatic Braking and other EyeSight safety features to become available. This usually only occurs within 30 seconds of engine startup but always occurs when plugging in a phone with Android Auto (a phone with Apple Car Play has never been used for verification). Warning message is displayed on driver's side messag... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2021
Fragile windshield. I’m just under a year of ownership and I replaced the windshield twice so far so I’m on my third one. First time was about a month in, no visible strike mark. Started on the Driver side halfway up and spread daily horizontally towards the passenger side and within a day or two was half the windshield. Second one was nine or 10 months out. Tiny strike basically did the same ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
I have had battery failures in the last 34 months 3 times. I have reported this problem before. The dealer replaces my battery and gives advice about not driving enough. not keeping my fob the proper distance from the car. This is casing me to be concerned about safety issues. I know there is a class action 2020 for this problem but subaru needs to solve this issue. It is a computer on wheels and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2021
Battery inexplicably drains overnight. 1st occurrence was on 21 December 2021 and second occurrence on 25 December 2021. Car is stored in garage, located in Ponte Vedra, FL and is used daily. Mileage is 31,000 miles.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
Windshield developed spontaneous crack on bottom edge of driver side extending 12-18” in line of sight of driver. There was no impact or stone hitting the windshield. Drove car for 30 minutes and parked car to go shopping. 5 minutes later the crack developed while still parked. Vehicle to be inspected by local dealer on December 29, 2021.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
Windshield cracked with no impact. Started at top center and is expanding down the center of the windshield. I reached out to Subaru but no response.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2021
The rear liftgate on our 2020 Subaru Ascent opened on its own during the night of 12/18/21, resulting in a drained battery. The tech dispatched by Subaru roadside assistance stated that there is a software problem resulting in these doors falsly detecting an obstruction and opening the liftgate, which results in a drained battery. The Subaru dealer stated that they could not replicate the problem ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
Recently have had issues with the battery. I've had to jump the car 4 times in the last month. The car was purchased in August 2021. I believe the electrical system is draining the battery.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
Windshield on NEW car has cracked (for no apparent reason) two times within one year of purchase. Subaru has denied defects in each instance.