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: Mar 27, 2025
AT 26,453 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RUN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE VALVES HAD EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP ON THEM. THE ISSUE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS SITUATION, STATING THAT THE ISSUE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE W... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2025
AT 26,453 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RUN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE VALVES HAD EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP ON THEM. THE ISSUE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS SITUATION, STATING THAT THE ISSUE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE W... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Solterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V393000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available and informed the contact that many of the dealers were experiencing ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was jerking, shaking, and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The failure nearly caused a crash. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where the oxygen sensor and spark plugs were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
Often the brakes are squishy. They require me to push almost all the way down on the brake pedal to engage. This has happened several times of the last year.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
I was leaving home and driving in the neighborhood when I noticed that it was a crack on my windshield and there was no damaged or debris at the time. I didn’t hear anything nor there any trees or cars that will kick up rocks or bad weather It was strange to have happened and I thought it had to be a defective windshield. I looked to see if there were a recall and it was but not for the year bu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
During normal vehicle operation, the castle nut came off the control arm causing it to disengage from the wheel. It is currently with the dealer for inspection and service. They still have not confirmed if this and the associated damage will be covered under the extended warranty. I have also reached out to Subaru of America as this is a safety concern and is same as the recall on the 2023 model.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
During normal vehicle operation, the castle nut came off the control arm causing it to disengage from the wheel. It is currently with the dealer for inspection and service. They still have not confirmed if this and the associated damage will be covered under the extended warranty. I have also reached out to Subaru of America as this is a safety concern and is same as the recall on the 2023 model.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
During normal vehicle operation, the castle nut came off the control arm causing it to disengage from the wheel. It is currently with the dealer for inspection and service. They still have not confirmed if this and the associated damage will be covered under the extended warranty. I have also reached out to Subaru of America as this is a safety concern and is same as the recall on the 2023 model.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
After my husband replaced the 12V battery in my 2021 Subaru Ascent Touring ($90,000, fully paid off), Apple CarPlay stopped connecting via USB entirely. Android Auto and Bluetooth continued working fine on the same phone, cable, and port, proving the defect was isolated to Subaru's CarPlay system, not my device. I spent significant time and money troubleshooting this myself: multiple cables (incl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
After my husband replaced the 12V battery in my 2021 Subaru Ascent Touring ($90,000, fully paid off), Apple CarPlay stopped connecting via USB entirely. Android Auto and Bluetooth continued working fine on the same phone, cable, and port, proving the defect was isolated to Subaru's CarPlay system, not my device. I spent significant time and money troubleshooting this myself: multiple cables (incl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and can pull codes). The problem would appear, and then disappear upon subsequent startup cycle, over the course of a two-week road trip. In total, the problem occurred three times ove... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and can pull codes). The problem would appear, and then disappear upon subsequent startup cycle, over the course of a two-week road trip. In total, the problem occurred three times ove... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
The passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS), including the occupant detection sensor system in the passenger seat, has malfunctioned. The SRS/airbag warning light is illuminated. The vehicle produced diagnostic trouble codes B1650 and B1760. The affected passenger seat and components remain installed in the vehicle and are available for inspection upon request. As the SRS light is on, none of ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
The contact owned a 2024 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floor with no resistance. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle, resulting in a multi-vehicle crash. ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
My local Subaru dealership / service provider has told me my car needs a new transmission at 66k miles, due to an issue within the CVT solenoid causing slipping and lag that will eventually lead to catastrophic failure of the transmission - per the Subaru of America service tree. This issue began on July 23, 2026, when a slew of warning lights illuminated on the dash and my car went into limp mode... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
THIS VEHICLE WAS REVERSING, DETECTED AN OBSTACLE AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING, IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND THEN CAUSED ME TO TRAVELTHROUGH THE FRONT YARD OF MY HOUSE. EVEN THOUGH THE REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM DETECTED THE OBJECT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE SO IT WOULDN'T HIT ANYONE ON THE STREET OR MY HOUSE. THIS DID CAU... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
THIS VEHICLE WAS REVERSING, DETECTED AN OBSTACLE AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING, IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND THEN CAUSED ME TO TRAVELTHROUGH THE FRONT YARD OF MY HOUSE. EVEN THOUGH THE REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM DETECTED THE OBJECT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE SO IT WOULDN'T HIT ANYONE ON THE STREET OR MY HOUSE. THIS DID CAU... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
THIS VEHICLE WAS REVERSING, DETECTED AN OBSTACLE AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING, IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND THEN CAUSED ME TO TRAVELTHROUGH THE FRONT YARD OF MY HOUSE. EVEN THOUGH THE REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM DETECTED THE OBJECT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE SO IT WOULDN'T HIT ANYONE ON THE STREET OR MY HOUSE. THIS DID CAU... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
Headlights visibly shake when going over bumps on the road. It is an extreme hazard and impairs visibility when driving. Issue can be replicated when car is parked. Headlight housing seems to not be fully supported and will shake when car is manually shaken.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2026
Front subframe is rusted out. Went to do brakes and found holes in frame. I contacted subaru of north olmsted and was told this is common. Was told to call subaru of America and complain and see if they would help. So I called and was told it's common because the car is exposed to snow salt. I have never seen anything like this. I joined a subaru Facebook page and everyone confirmed that this real... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2022
24th February 2020 - Bought the car from Subaru dealer. Couple of service records prior to May 24, 2022. - May 24, 2022 (9,037 miles) | RO# 806326: The lower oil pan leaked prematurely and had to be completely replaced under warranty. During the same visit, explained LONG BRAKE PEDAL issue, and was given an estimate. - - June 1, 2022 (9,039 miles) | RO# 806767: Just 2 miles after that repair, the ... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2022
24th February 2020 - Bought the car from Subaru dealer. Couple of service records prior to May 24, 2022. - May 24, 2022 (9,037 miles) | RO# 806326: The lower oil pan leaked prematurely and had to be completely replaced under warranty. During the same visit, explained LONG BRAKE PEDAL issue, and was given an estimate. - - June 1, 2022 (9,039 miles) | RO# 806767: Just 2 miles after that repair, the ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
Following an engine-out service at an authorized dealer (Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru), a primary powertrain mounting bolt was left unthreaded by approximately 1 inch, creating an undetected 8,000-mile safety hazard that resulted in extensive drivetrain and suspension component failures. Subsequently, during a diagnostic inspection at another authorized dealer (All American Subaru), heavy rusted metal pli... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
Following an engine-out service at an authorized dealer (Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru), a primary powertrain mounting bolt was left unthreaded by approximately 1 inch, creating an undetected 8,000-mile safety hazard that resulted in extensive drivetrain and suspension component failures. Subsequently, during a diagnostic inspection at another authorized dealer (All American Subaru), heavy rusted metal pli... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
Following an engine-out service at an authorized dealer (Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru), a primary powertrain mounting bolt was left unthreaded by approximately 1 inch, creating an undetected 8,000-mile safety hazard that resulted in extensive drivetrain and suspension component failures. Subsequently, during a diagnostic inspection at another authorized dealer (All American Subaru), heavy rusted metal pli... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was skipping. The failure was recurrent. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair was completed on July 15, 2025. The contact was the vehicle owner on that date and stated tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
The affected product is a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch-mounted bicycle rack (2-bike, [1.25" / 2"] receiver), purchased new in January 2023, mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester. On two occasions in the past several months, the front ratchet/hook arm that secures the front wheel released on its own while the vehicle was in motion, allowing the bicycle to come off the tray. On July 17th 2026, at approximatel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Vehicle's Auto Start-Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a red light in [XXX], in rainy conditions in late XXX at approximately 29,000 miles. When the brake was released after the light turned green, the engine did not restart, leaving it stopped in the travel lane in live traffic. The driver had to use a portable jump starter to get it running again. This was not isolated — repeate... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
While driving, shortly after starting the trip (after traveling approximately a quarter mile), I felt what seemed like a bite or an electric shock on my left ankle, at floor level. I immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. My sock had a burn/hole in it, and I sustained three distinct marks on my ankle. There were no dashboard warning lights on before, during, or after the incident. This ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
While driving, shortly after starting the trip (after traveling approximately a quarter mile), I felt what seemed like a bite or an electric shock on my left ankle, at floor level. I immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. My sock had a burn/hole in it, and I sustained three distinct marks on my ankle. There were no dashboard warning lights on before, during, or after the incident. This ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
The headlights appear loose to the point when you drive over small bumps the lights bounce. This is causing a distraction for me as well as anyone in front of me. This car is 1 day old. I test drove the car twice before buying but unfortunately, I wasn't able to drive it at night or else I wouldn't have purchased it.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
The failing component system is the drivers side impact airbags. Subaru of America did their own inspection and has listed their findings in an email (it can be forwarded to you if needed). The vehicle is currently at a collision center appointed by our insurance company but has not yet been inspected there. Our vehicle sat at NEW MOTORS dealership so that Subaru of America could do their invest... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
The failing component system is the drivers side impact airbags. Subaru of America did their own inspection and has listed their findings in an email (it can be forwarded to you if needed). The vehicle is currently at a collision center appointed by our insurance company but has not yet been inspected there. Our vehicle sat at NEW MOTORS dealership so that Subaru of America could do their invest... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
The failing component system is the drivers side impact airbags. Subaru of America did their own inspection and has listed their findings in an email (it can be forwarded to you if needed). The vehicle is currently at a collision center appointed by our insurance company but has not yet been inspected there. Our vehicle sat at NEW MOTORS dealership so that Subaru of America could do their invest... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
The speedometer and the entire dashboard goes haywire when driving. It’s impossible to know what speed I’m going, no inspection yet. The cruise control light is on and won’t go off. I’m not sure if it’s on or not which is unfastened and could cause other issues. The check engine light goes on and off as well as the brake and ABS lights. There is no telling what could be wrong with those ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
The speedometer and the entire dashboard goes haywire when driving. It’s impossible to know what speed I’m going, no inspection yet. The cruise control light is on and won’t go off. I’m not sure if it’s on or not which is unfastened and could cause other issues. The check engine light goes on and off as well as the brake and ABS lights. There is no telling what could be wrong with those ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
The speedometer and the entire dashboard goes haywire when driving. It’s impossible to know what speed I’m going, no inspection yet. The cruise control light is on and won’t go off. I’m not sure if it’s on or not which is unfastened and could cause other issues. The check engine light goes on and off as well as the brake and ABS lights. There is no telling what could be wrong with those ... Read more
SUBARU
TRAILSEEKER
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 25, 2026
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Since owning the vehicle at the end of April 2026, there has been a phantom drain on the accessory system that causes the 12-volt battery to drop below the minimum operating voltage, requiring a jump start in order to get the vehicle to operate. The first event happened within weeks of owning the vehicle and after leaving the car turned off, including all lights, and doors locked for around 72 ho... Read more
SUBARU
TRAILSEEKER
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 24, 2026
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
When not driven in multiple days in a row the 12V battery will be dead, requiring a jump. If driven regularly the battery remains charged. If 12V is extremely low driver assist sensors are offline until battery voltage is restored. The connected app will push error codes to mobile device, of invalid conditions when battery is near death. Some messages included stating doors open, windows are open,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2026
There have been multiple instances where my car has failed to “restart” if the auto-start-stop feature is on. I immediately turn that setting off every time I get into my car because if I pause for too long at a light/stop sign etc.the engine will stall and turn off (without being in park). I have reported this to Subaru on many occasions and they’ve told me to replace the battery, so I did,... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
The battery and electrical system died while I was at a red light in traffic on my way to work. I was stuck on a major road with trucks and traffic behind me while I was stuck in the middle lane. I had to wait for help to be pushed out of traffic to the sidewalk and wait for a jump. The Subaru dealership confirmed this was an issue with their battery and auto stop/start system and charged me $60... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
When I am driving forward, or turning, sometimes the car automatically beeps very loud and puts on the breaks and the car in front of me is far away. It’s stressful and problematic. It doesn’t seem like an effective feature. This has happened like 10 times
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
Car battery has been failing since June it will not stay charged it started out losing power over weekends now it is every day. It is so bad I purchased a portable battery charger from auto zone to jump my car.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
We brought the vehicle in for routine maintenance. They reported that all brake hoses were bulging and at risk of failing at any time. They said that there was a related recall for a similar issue on other CrossTrek's but that ours was not included in the VIN list, so was not a part of the recall. This appears to be a serious component failure which could result in a fatal accident. The fact t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan. The contact was able to steer the vehicle to the side of the bridge and stopped... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan. The contact was able to steer the vehicle to the side of the bridge and stopped... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan. The contact was able to steer the vehicle to the side of the bridge and stopped... Read more
Crash