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 2, 2026
Small rock chip in windshield and the next day when turning on the defrost a long crack formed that is approximately 10-12 inches. The windshield is very flimsy and driving with a cracked windshield is a safety issue. The dealer confirmed that several others have called with windshield repairs and that they don't do the work themselves and told me to call safelite.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
My 2011 Hyundai Sonata experienced sudden engine failure and the engine is now locked up. The vehicle became inoperable and had to be taken to a Hyundai dealership. The dealership confirmed the engine is locked and not drivable. Hyundai denied the engine replacement claim stating the vehicle has A04/A08 branding indicating the engine originates from a scrapped or rebuilt vehicle. However, Hyundai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's rear door belt molding trim detached. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the parts were on back order. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V49... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
We purchased a 2023 Mercedes EQB (EV) 2 years ago. The car is part of a recall in which we are advised to not park near other cars and not charge at home. Thus making the car essentially not useable unless we take the risk. We are driving it, knowing that we could catch fire. We are parking it and charging it in our garage, knowing it could catch fire. We have no choice as Mercedes has not offered... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
In September of 2025, I was notified twice by BMW via mail that my car is under recall. The NHTSA Recall Number is 25V636000. It is possible for water to contact and enter the engine starter. This could lead to corrosion which could cause a short circuit and ultimately a fire. They told me it would be fixed free of charge and I would be notified when the remedy was available. There were no such w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. this came to a cost of $735.00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned since starting to drive in 1975. This is a safety and quality issue and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Driving when it sounded like a gunshot went off in the car. I looked to the back of my car to see what was around me (nothing), and saw no damage to any windows. I could hear glass cracking so I went to open my moonroof screen to check the glass and I could hear glass on the screen so I closed it right back. I pulled over and was able to confirm the sunroof had busted across the back of the glass.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V668000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no time frame for when parts would be available. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the hood. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
At ~20,300 miles, severe chassis and steering wheel vibration occurred during high-speed highway descents while braking. Safety risk: reduced steering control at highway speed. The vehicle was inspected by a franchised Chevrolet dealer in Lakewood, CO. The technician's written service notes document rear rotor Lateral Runout (LRO) of 0.006 inches against GM's maximum allowable specification of 0.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Driving 65mph on [XXX] and all the lights came on flashing and alerting me causing the emergency braking to occur while driving causing me to swerve on the road and lucky I didn’t crash but i had my [XXX] old in the car and it scared the hell out of me, on top of all that my horn gave out and hasn’t worked since that incident and now all the lights are off and I don’t even get the beeping ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
My issue seems consistent with NHTSA Action Number PE25016. On March 4, 2026, I was driving and my check engine light start flashing. Shortly thereafter, I lost motive power. I was driving approximately 50 mph at the time. I pulled over and turned my car off and then back on, at which point the check engine light turned off and motive power was restored. I brought my car into the dealership later... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The vehicle shifted itself into neutral and shut off while driving. It happened twice in three days. The first time I was pulling into the driveway so I was able to put it in park and restart the car safely. The second time I was in the middle of traffic in Tampa and it shifted into neutral and shut off in the middle of the road. Luckily no cars hit me but again I had to apply the break , restart ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Car will randomly accelerate when not on gas pedal and/or a delay in brakes working. Has happened on more than one occasion.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Car will randomly accelerate when not on gas pedal and/or a delay in brakes working. Has happened on more than one occasion.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
My 2020 Ford Edge Titanium AWD, with approximately 64,000 miles, recently began exhibiting a brief vibration or shudder when accelerating at low speeds, below 40 mph. The vibration lasts approximately one to two seconds and occurs around the time the vehicle shifts gears under acceleration. The vehicle does not exhibit the vibration while maintaining a constant speed. Prior to this issue appearing... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I bought this 2022 Jeep Renegade in 2023. Upon changing the oil today (3/13/2026) my mechanic found a rear main seal leak. He stated to check for recalls/safety as this should not be happening; the car only has 54,000 miles on it. I have called a couple friends that have one and they too have leaks. Is this covered for repair under a recall? Also the engine stalls when I try to take off, jerking ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing front suspension, coolant, and oil leak failures. The contact stated that the front suspension unexpectedly lowered while the vehicle was parked or while driving. The message "Active Curve System Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where unknown repairs were performed. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that upon shifting to Drive(D) while the vehicle was on an incline, the vehicle rolled back before moving forward as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, causing the vehicle to hit a garage door and a brick mailbox on two different occasions. The contact stated that the tailgate was opened and sustained a dent whe... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact’s wife owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an air bag message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
An aftermarket ignition interlock device (Intoxalock eLERT model) installed in my vehicle repeatedly malfunctioned and disabled the vehicle’s ignition system, preventing the vehicle from starting and operating normally. The device was installed on October 6, 2025 as part of a state ignition interlock program. The first malfunction occurred only four days later. The device has malfunctioned mult... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Service ABS lock and ABS System" was displayed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local de... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I am the owner of a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe which is currently subject to two urgent safety recalls: Recall 68C (NHTSA 25V-741) regarding a high-voltage battery fire risk, and Recall 95B (NHTSA 25V-766) regarding engine sand contamination. On March 13, 2026, I attempted to have these recalls addressed at an authorized dealership (Brooksville Jeep). I reported two specific safety symptoms: A... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
While driving the 2026 Dodge Ram 3500 truck the instrument panel; cluster went completely blank. The screen reappeared again in less than a minute. No other functions were affected.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I believe there is an issue with the DC to DC converter. Had an incident when the vehicle was idling for at 30 mins while cleaning snow in driveway after a storm. I received an warning battery low. As thought this was odd I turned it off. waited a few hours returned and the warning was gone. I had JLR dealer look at the issue. I was told the main battery was faulty and replaced, this was in end ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
I have a 4x4 disengagement warning light and all reviews I have researched say you have to replace the rear transfer case. I bought this car October 2025 111000 miles on it 5 months in I have had to replace a shifter cable, the oil filter housing and now this rear ptu. The srv 4x4 light comes and goes. This could be electrical for poorly made un serviceable parts. I have read and researched miles... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Transmission is slipping, this year of Silverado is known for this. Transmission clunks while driving and slips in and out of gear.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Transmission is slipping, this year of Silverado is known for this. Transmission clunks while driving and slips in and out of gear.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
When I was pulling out of my driveway, my car wouldn't accelerate and started making a terrible noise. I lost all power and couldn't get it to move leaving me stuck in the middle of the road. It wouldn't even let me coast off to the side of the road. I have had this same problem before with this transmission and had it replaced with a new manufactured for my car by Nissan transmission.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
Coolant smell when parked with engine running. Radiator was replaced under warranty at ~16,000 miles Coolant smell again ~49,000 miles. "Pressure tested at dealership with following notes: "Found radiator core on driver side seeping/leaking. provided estimate on cost. no repair made during this visit." Many forums on 2021 Chevrolet Blazer note poor quality in radiators. This would be the 3rd radi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
See attached document for complaint. In November 2024 I received a letter regarding a transmission recall related to my truck. This came almost 1 year after I had to have my transmission replaced for the reason stated in the recall letter. I have now reached out twice to the Ford Motor Company to try to receive reimbursement for the out-of-pocket expense I incurred to replace the transmission wit... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling rough and occasionally, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was more frequent. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While the vehicle was idling, the RPM was fluctuating between 800 - 1,000 RPM. The... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
the backup camera has had a flicker/black screen issue since the car was purchased. after recall 24V480000 was applied to the vehicle, the flickering, black screen and no image issues persisted with the backup camera. dealership says software is up to date and this site shows the recall was applied to the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
My 2017 Subaru Forester [Touring] (VIN: [VIN]) has a recurring front passenger airbag deactivation problem even when an adult is seated and belted. The console shows “Passenger Airbag OFF” with an adult occupant. The seatbelt chime recognizes a passenger, but the airbag remains OFF. In many cases, the airbag will only enable if the passenger sits after engine start—classic Occupant Detection... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
APIM module has failed. very common on these models and should be recalled!
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
While traveling from Los Angeles, California to Tucson, Arizona with one passenger, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of multiple critical systems while driving at highway speed. Earlier during the trip the vehicle stopped in Quartzsite, Arizona. When attempting to re-enter the vehicle, the key initially did not unlock the vehicle. The driver contacted Range Rover roadside assist... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
The vehicle exhibited charging failures on multiple occasions over the course of several days after being connected to a Level 2 home charging unit overnight. On repeated mornings, the high-voltage battery was found to have not charged. The vehicle also exhibited intermittent slow charging behavior during this same period. Approximately six months prior to the charging failures, the 12-volt auxili... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
While driving my 2022 Audi Q5 on Interstate I-35 at approximately 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly applied braking while traveling on a wet roadway. The braking felt unexpected and the vehicle lost traction and control. The vehicle skidded and struck a concrete barrier. The side airbag deployed during the crash. Fortunately, my family survived the accident. I am unsure whether this event was caused b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
My wife and I have both experienced intermittent power loss on the vehicle — specifically after stopping and restarting, such as at traffic signals. During these incidents, the car moves extremely slowly even with the accelerator fully pressed, before eventually resuming normal acceleration. This has happened 3–4 times between us, and on one occasion, the car nearly stalled in the middle of an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Rearview camera lag then disconnect. Ceases functioning until restart.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
Front camera failure in 2019 honda odyssey after only 5 years. Total system failure causing multiple warning lights and loss of full adas system
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
Front camera failure in 2019 honda odyssey after only 5 years. Total system failure causing multiple warning lights and loss of full adas system
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
I am reporting a confirmed safety defect in my 2018 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine involving engine coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores. This appears to be a manufacturing defect associated with this engine design rather than a maintenance issue. I have exercised proper diligence as the vehicle owner and have two prior inspection reports (available upon request) that show... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The engine in my 2021 Hyundai Palisade experienced sudden loss of oil leading to engine failure. The vehicle had been regularly serviced and maintained at a Hyundai dealership according to recommended intervals. During multiple service visits, the dealership informed me the vehicle was low on oil. An oil consumption test was performed but the results were inconclusive. At approximately 99,500 mil... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
I recently took my 2008 honda goldwing vin: [XXX] to Broward Motorsports located at 2100 W Sunrise Blvd Suite 161, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 to complete a brake drag recall. this recall to the best of my knowledge was NHTSA Recall Number: 15V-700 (JV6) to address the brake drag issue where the rear brake locks after pressure is applied to the rear brake pedal. After the recall was allegedly compl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while shifting from drive(D) to park(P), the vehicle continued to accelerate or reverse unintendedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact to go to settings and choose brakes, and while parking, the parking brake engaged, but the driver needed to manually release ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
Total loss of power steering. Was able to avoid crash but extremely dangerous. Has to get it towed to dealer $6,800 fix for total rack replacement due to bolts sheering off from EPS. Research shows this is a known issue due to faulty aluminum bolts in areas that salt roads.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
About every 45 days the car will not turn off. Safety items like the rear view camera will not work. The main viewing screen will go dead. I called the dealership. They said this was a common problem with my car. The only fix is to attempt a full system reboot with a paper clip. This has now happened three times to me. Once the car started without me pushing the start button. Twice while I was dr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Vehicle has around 50K miles and driver rear leaf spring corroded and broke, review of right rear leaf spring also showed corrosion and metal thinning. Truck has no off road time nor heavy loads in bed. I had to replce both springs at my cost even though Ford is aware of the 2019-2020 Ranger spring issues and refused to replace the springs. This is a serious safety issue that places the occupants ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
I WAS DRIVING AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED FROM THE INSIDE. GLASS WAS FACING UP AND THERE IS NO VISIBLE SIGN OF ANYTHING HITING THE SUNROOF FROM ABOVE