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: Jan 4, 2025
The contact’s daughter owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on several occasions while making left or right turns, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an electric power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and jerked abnormally before accelerating. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while accelerating from the vehicle idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the crankca... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
My car has less than 65,000 and is just 10 years old but the transmission cross member is shot .I have had cars with nearly 300,000 and this never happened the part is on backorder.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
Initially when buying the vehicle in 2021, it had 30k miles. Car continued to give me a "cylinder 2 misfire code" after numerous trips to different garages and then the car beginning to start up rough and anti freeze missing i came across a "service bulletin" regarding it being a faulty ring in the engine. I took the vehicle to Ford and they replaced the engine. My car just hit 100k miles All of t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
Initially when buying the vehicle in 2021, it had 30k miles. Car continued to give me a "cylinder 2 misfire code" after numerous trips to different garages and then the car beginning to start up rough and anti freeze missing i came across a "service bulletin" regarding it being a faulty ring in the engine. I took the vehicle to Ford and they replaced the engine. My car just hit 100k miles All of t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Loss power i ,studding had a overheating in transmissonsounds whinning , bumps, locking up hesatation sudden lurching at home in driveway.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. The contact stated that the image on the screen was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribut... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My car has been in the Kia shop for engine. We just stopped on the freeway and for the module recall and my safety bag is just constantly on since I’ve gotten it and now I’m noticing electrical issues that shouldn’t be someone told me. Hey you need to file a complaint because your car can catch on fire And I don’t know what else to do but to do a paper trail just in case but it’s been re... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
My car has been in the Kia shop for engine. We just stopped on the freeway and for the module recall and my safety bag is just constantly on since I’ve gotten it and now I’m noticing electrical issues that shouldn’t be someone told me. Hey you need to file a complaint because your car can catch on fire And I don’t know what else to do but to do a paper trail just in case but it’s been re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
The magnetic chest clip does not stay clipped/locked. Can easily undo the chest clip without use of the buttons to release it. If car seat was in a crash, child may not be adequately restrained. Car seat has not been inspected by anyone other than parents, mother is a CPST though. Chicco is currently mailing out a replacement.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
Unknown, I was driving on the Highway when all of a sudden my car came to a stop with the engine smoking up. I had it tow to my house and had my brother in law who is a car mechanic come check and he states that it is the rod bearing. We see recalls on it for other same car model and year, but not for my VIN.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
THROTTLE LAG WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULITIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING THIS. I FEAR THAT IF THIS DOES NOT GET FIXED MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE SEVERLEY INJURED OR MAY END UP DEAD. I TOOK IT TO 2 TOYOTA DEALERS. ONE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND ONE IN DEL RIO, TEXAS THEY BOTH SAID, "WE SEE NOTHING WRONG. AND TO... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Hello, I hope I not wasting your time, Well, no accident has occurred, because the vehicle is not driven much, because The manual says not to drive it like that, and does not even have 6,000 miles, the year is 2018, the problem is the (abs) anti-lock brake system, the vehicle was checked by the dealer on 12/06/2022, and there is still no answer,
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
Lost eps while pulling my Travel Trailer. Was able to get stopped without incident. Restarted vehicle and had eps. On another occasions ,started vehicle and no eps. This has become a problem any time the outside temperature is below 65 degrees. Can usually get eps after letting engine warm up.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The touchscreen shuts down and makes the safety features shut off. This use to happen a few times per quarter, but now is happening a few times per month. Happens always while driving which causes the adaptive cruise to shut off, causing deceleration, the eyesight shuts off, the controls on the keyboard are not available. It takes a minute or two for the screen to reboot and safety features to re-... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
I am submitting this complaint regarding a persistent and significant transmission issue with my 2017 GMC Yukon Denali, which I purchased in June 2024. The transmission has been malfunctioning, causing the vehicle to jerk and hesitate, particularly during acceleration. This component is available for inspection upon request. Safety Concerns: This issue poses a serious risk to my safety and the sa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a serious safety issue with my 2021 Jeep Gladiator (VIN: [XXX] ). On Sunday, [XXX], while my wife was driving the vehicle on the highway near our home in southeast Boston, she experienced intense and violent shaking that did not subside until she slowed down and pulled over. She was alone at the time, and the event was frightening and could have l... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
I am sick and really feeling poisoned from this vehicle, driving this high dose and rate of exposure of EMF radiation which is killing me slowly and silently and this salesmen at Lewisville Texas Auto Nation lied and misled me by deceptive misstatement of fact and assurance that this car was safe to drive and use daily, which this salesmen lied and said I could turn off auto driving features, that... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
I bought the car and 2 days later the check engine light came on so I took it to Wendle Ford Town in Spokane Washington and I was told that the Engine was leaking antifreeze into the cylinders so I became concerned that if it was doing that then it could cause the Engine to overheat or stop unexpectedly because of overheating and cause an accident
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The Airbag warning light has been lit within the dashboard. The front passenger seat airbag is faulty and is not able to correctly sense when a passenger is within the seat or not, which disables the airbags. This can be deadly to the passenger if in an accident. The issue seems to be in the ODS passenger seat mat that determines when the airbag is active or not. If moisture is able to get withi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
According to my mechanic the sway bar broke, also I get a 4WD system unavailable service required! Which is PTU module needs replaced! That is a rescalled issue, do to safety issues! Please look into it! Thanks
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
According to my mechanic the sway bar broke, also I get a 4WD system unavailable service required! Which is PTU module needs replaced! That is a rescalled issue, do to safety issues! Please look into it! Thanks
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
On [XXX] Clay Subaru in Norwood, MA told me that my 2011 Subaru Outback has front subframe rot. Supposedly they do a 100 point inspection every oil change, which is performed every 6 or so months, yet this problem was first report last October! The car had only 81,616 miles on it. (Now it has 82,000ish) The dealer claims it will cost $5368.96 to fix the car and that the subframe needs fixing with... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Bought a new 2024 VW Atlas Se with 4 miles on it. Around 6700 miles my brakes grinds and squeaks whenever I brake when the pads are cold. Took it to the VW dealership in Capitol Heights, MD. They claimed they cleaned the brakes but the same problem is occurring. From researching the problem it seems many people are having this same problem. VW should be aware of the issues.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
The MPG gauge on the instrument cluster does not light up. This part of the instrument cluster also displays mileage, fuel levels and temperature. This is a safety risk due to not being able to determine fuel levels and mpg ranges at the minimum. This issue for me started 4 months ago on my 2018 Honda HRV with 80k miles on it. This issue has been reported to Honda for vehicles ranging from 2018-20... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
While highway driving, engine suddenly lost power and car could not exceed 5 mph. Was able to get off at next exit and get to a local garage. Mechanic inspected. Bolt connecting high pressure fuel pump to cylinder sheared off leaving bolt body in cylinder, bending fuel pump and caused oil to spray over entire engine compartment. Repair unlikely. Engine will likely need to be replaced. Car has al... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The backup camera on my vehicle does not work. The screen is all white which prevents me from seeing behind the car. Ford had a recall for the same problem on other car models but not for the 2018 Taurus.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The Subaru front camera incorrectly detected a hazard. The automatic braking system engaged and locked the steering. I skidded off the pavement, causing damage to the car. At the time of the accident, the blind sight warning lights flashed on the dash signaling that they were disabled. I was going very slow in a driveway. No personal damage just property damage and damage to the car. I have ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Driver's side headrest exploded. Fortunately, the car was parked at the time, so no injuries. I understand that this is a known defect, but that a recall still hasn't been issued.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The crosswind/lane departure system needs to have a way to be disabled by the user. Thanks
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
Magnetic chest clip malfunctions, does not fasten properly. The car seat is not designs to replace the chest clip with a functioning replacement. This allowed my child to unrestrain herself easily and posed a hazard to her in case of a wreck.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
On [XXX] my 2022 Ford Explorer was involved in a collision during my morning commute to work. On [XXX] while stopped at a stoplight across from Sheetz, with the auto brake hold engaged for a minute or two already, my vehicle accelerated forward into the vehicle in front of me. The impact was so sudden that the driver of the vehicle I collided with thought I had been rear ended. While I had contac... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
The vehicle’s emergency braking system randomly applies the brakes even when the front is not obstructed. Front sensors are kept clear of any debris, dirt, or bugs. I went to Honda of El Cajon in El Cajon, Ca and they could not help me even though the service advisor admitted that another Honda CR-V driver had the same problem the same day. This is a safety concern as my car has applied he bra... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
The vehicle’s emergency braking system randomly applies the brakes even when the front is not obstructed. Front sensors are kept clear of any debris, dirt, or bugs. I went to Honda of El Cajon in El Cajon, Ca and they could not help me even though the service advisor admitted that another Honda CR-V driver had the same problem the same day. This is a safety concern as my car has applied he bra... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The air system has gone out in the car completely, you can hear it run or try to and then kick off, i have checked and it has not been recalled. there were no accidents prior to the air system giving out. it started around the june 2024, but it didn’t affect vision at that time. it started affecting vision as winter approached (nov 2024). My vision is now completely affected as the weather is hi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
On [XXX] my 2022 Ford Explorer was involved in a collision during my morning commute to work. On [XXX] while stopped at a stoplight across from Sheetz, with the auto brake hold engaged for a minute or two already, my vehicle accelerated forward into the vehicle in front of me. The impact was so sudden that the driver of the vehicle I collided with thought I had been rear ended. While I had contac... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
When driving on a cold rainy day, I turned on defrost heat to clear my windscreen. No heat came out. AC, fans and zone select worked fine, but no heat. So I had to stop repeatedly on a narrow road to wipe windshield. After reviewing user forums, some pointed to a known problem with these Sprinter vans. Apparently the actuator servo motor that controls the heater flap can get stuck at limit po... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2024
I took my vehicle to my mechanic for inspection check up. My mechanic told me and supplied paperwork from their scans that the P0420 sensor in the cat converter was shot again (3x in 5 years) and needed to be replaced. The engine light had come on 3 weeks beforehand and I had it read and knew what it was. They sent me to Hyundai dealer as it was under warranty with documentation. I get to Hyundai ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
Dealer confirmed the driver side rear shock is leaking. SUV was driven only on paved roads locally with an occasional highway drive.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
incident I would like to report involves the crash of a 2018 Nissan Sentra (VIN: [XXX] ) that occurred on the morning of [XXX], coinciding with [XXX] on [XXX] at the [XXX] location. It is very concerning and puzzling how, in rainy conditions, after the vehicle collided with the highway barrier, the airbag of the Sentra failed to deploy, resulting in the driver’s head hitting the steering whe... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Multiple fuel pump failures. Being left stranded or disabled on the highway. this is a known issue on this bike and no remedy has been provided or devised.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the hood was flapping up and down. The contact was concerned that the hood might release and crash into the front windshield. The brake pedal was depressed but was slow to respond. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the interior lights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Driver door cable sticking open when low temps occur. Driver door does not latch until vehicle is locked or key is inserted into door and manually positioned or key fob is used to lock the vehicle.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2016
Rear backup camera stopped working
Incident date: Jun 8, 2016
Coolant was leaking into cylinder #1 in the engine. The engine consequently had to be replaced, and a Ford dealer replaced it. Coolant was leaking into the engine because of a design defect in the engine that Ford has known about for a long time. See Ford Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229. The design defect is a safety risk. My vehicle would not pass Pennsylvania’s vehicle safety inspectio... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Several days ago, the twelve volt battery on my car was replaced because the car just suddenly died overnight while sitting in my garage. They told me that the battery needed to be replaced when I went to the dealer. They replaced it and now less than a week later, I was driving on the highway and suddenly the car Slowed to no more than 27 miles an hour with warnings about the electrical system no... Read more