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: Jan 13, 2025
Lifter failure on number 2 cylinder.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
I was having suspension problems when I purchased the vehicle. Took into land Rover proformed a suspension evaluation they made recommendations on what should be fixed I proformed the repairs but when I accelerated a hard knocking on the left side of the vehicle still happened I found a video on YouTube about the staring knuckles failing on my 2014 and decided to check to see if mine had the prob... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
I was involved in a rear-end collision caused by a vehicle abruptly moving into my lane while traveling at a slower speed. From the time the vehicle entered my lane to the time of the collision was approximately one second. Despite this timeframe, the anti-collision warning system and automatic emergency braking (AEB) functionality in my Ford vehicle did not activate or alert me before the impact.... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
On [XXX], in the middle of a 600 mile road trip from Idaho to Southern Nevada, the engine failed in our 2023 GMC Sierra with just 23,060 miles on the odometer. We stopped for fuel and upon restarting the engine to continue on our trip, the engine was making a harsh metal on metal knocking. We called for a tow instead of driving further. The truck was towed 242 miles to the nearest dealership (GM... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 528I. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the contact noticed a burning odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2025
When turning the wheel there is Clicking sounds from the front axle, turning 90 degrees right or left. Dealer has been informed and said it sounds like an axle issue and that others have complained about this. Started almost immediately after taking delivery. Also rear camera failed after 1 hour of taking delivery.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 to 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, and there were met... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
Was driving on the highway and the engine completely died on me. Towed it to the dealer only for them to tell me that the engine needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
My mom and I were in her car brand new Mercedes adaptive cruise was on the car started to act up with all the warning lights again, which shut all safety systems down air back seatbelts, adaptive cruise, Tronics and the engine wall between 18 wheeler and the freeway wall slammed the vehicle into the freeway hall causing about $5000 worth of damage tires and wheels. Both on the left side had to be ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
My mom and I were in her car brand new Mercedes adaptive cruise was on the car started to act up with all the warning lights again, which shut all safety systems down air back seatbelts, adaptive cruise, Tronics and the engine wall between 18 wheeler and the freeway wall slammed the vehicle into the freeway hall causing about $5000 worth of damage tires and wheels. Both on the left side had to be ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The vehicle stopped, and I was unable to manually put it in Neutral. I had it towed to the dealership and was told that my engine was froze up. I have 25,000 miles on my Denali. This is not normal. My truck just "stopped" and would not move on a busy traffic road- why are the vehicles failing at less than 30,000 miles? I still owe quite a bit and now wondering what is going on with GM? I saw the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
There is clicking in what I believe are the CV axles while turning left and right. The heat does not work in the blistering cold which causes loss of visibility since the defrost won’t work. When this happens the vehicle gives a red warning light indicating “service high voltage system/battery.” I have taken it into the dealership 3 times now for the same reasons and each time they can’t d... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
I did the recall and it still doesn’t appear clear on your page I have document to prove that
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Honda accord 2023 touring 11600 miles driven When i was driving, "break system probem please contact the dealer" appears on the screen. The car acceleration stops, Engine light and all the other lights show up. Even when i accelerate, the car doesn't move. I turned off the car, restarted it and then did it twice then it started working again. Car acceleration reduces even when i driving.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Engine failed before 100,000 miles. Lifter failed leading to a damaged camshaft and replacement of lifters being require. Required 10,000$ in repairs. Failure light appeared suddenly. No issues were known of ahead of incident.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Steering went out on vehicle, very difficult to steer. Got it to the dealership, they say it is not in the recall. The power steering assist fault light came on and service advance trac. Is costing almost $1500 to fix.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
I am writing to formally submit a complaint regarding multiple ongoing and serious issues with my 2022 Hyundai Palisade. These issues not only diminish the performance and reliability of the vehicle but also raise significant safety and quality concerns. Below are the problems I have encountered: 1.Thermostat and Coolant System Defects: Like many other owners of the 2022 Hyundai Palisade, I have e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
The 2023 Yukon XL shut down while traveling at a speed of 70+ MPH.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I was driving my Car when it stalled the police helped me to get my car towed to my home I then had it towed to Gilbert Az Kia Dealership where it is now and waiting for Kia to approve Engine Replacement
Incident date: Jan 19, 2025
My wife and I bought our 2020 Ford Escape new from a dealer in 2020. We are the first owners of this vehicle. In the time that we have had it, we have experienced the following issues: 1- the forward camera module that provides collision prevention, lane assist, adaptive cruise control, etc has failed. The dealer claims that the unit “overheated”. The module is no longer covered under warranty... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
When closing the liftgate during the normal course of use, the liftgate support cylinder on the passengers (right) side failed (metal ball joint snapped where it connects to the liftgate), causing the support cylinder to fall between the liftgate and the rear tail light. Without this support cylinder in place, the liftgate did not receive enough support from the left side support cylinder and rapi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2023
Driving for about two weeks with a "sticky" steering wheel. Driving down the road one night, received Steering Fault, Service Now message. Power Steering was barely responsive. Parked car overnight, came out to car in morning, received Steering Loss, Stop Safely message. Power Steering was not functioning in the vehicle at all. Complete loss of power steering is a safety hazard while driving down... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
My 2021 Yukon Denali has roughly 70k miles and this is now the SECOND time that my engine shut off while driving >55mph on the interstate in the past 3 months. The first time, I had the sensation that the car was running out of gas when I went to accelerate. After about 5-10 seconds, the engine turned off, but the electronics stayed on. I coasted to the side of the road and tried multiple times to... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
STARTED THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE 30 MILES FOR AN APPOINTMENT. WHILE DRIVING, ALL OF THE INTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE EYE SIGHT TURNED OFF, CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED, PARKING BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, ABS LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. TPMS LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THIS HAS OCCURED 2 TIMES BEFORE. THE FIX FOR THE PREVIOUS ISSUES WAS TO CLEAN THE BATTERY TERMINALS.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
extreme premature failure of head gaskets. only at 80K miles and this is a known issue with my year Chrysler Pacifica requiring a 3500 dollar repair. the car has never over heated prior to this failure.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
When turning the steering wheel when accelerating there is a popping noise in the front of the vehicle.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
Emergency braking in reverse will randomly engage while in reverse when there is no object that is potentially obstructing reverse. This is a safety issue as when it engages, other vehicles around may not be able to react as quickly and cause an impact. This has not been reported to manufacturer, it has been reported to dealer. Warning lamp for emergency breaking engaging and requires to be put... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
Engine failed and had to be replaced because of bearing failure
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Found standing water in spare tire well. Back seat constantly wet, growing mold. The whole back area is moldy, mold under driver seat. My back passenger door seal has mold and water. Seat belts in back, MOLD. I had to wear a mask just to drive to the store. The mold turning black the day I took it to a shop for a water test. It's been two days and I still haven't heard anything about the water tes... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2025
Anti-lock brake system and stability control system control module has failed and replacement parts have been unavailable. (For over a year me dealer has said.)
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
While driving at interstate speeds the sunroof window shattered outward. This was not the result of a rock or flying ice event as no other cars where near by at the time. I have found that many others have experienced this issue and Kia refuses to cover the repairs even though it appears to be an issue with Kia Telluride sunroofs. If the sun shade had been open at the time both me and my 12 year o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
Passanger side windshield wiper, complete failure at highway speeds while using. The wiper broke off, flew into traffic behind me. No warnings, no visible issues.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
I brought the vehicle in to have recalls addressed on 12/30/24. Starting the next day we noticed the car was weaving without any steering, but thought it might have been icy road conditions and waited to see if it reoccured. The car has since weaved intermittently, but has righted itself after releasing the accelerator. However, on 1/15/25 while traveling about 50mph, the car started weaving on it... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
We were driving down the interstate with cruise control on. There were no other cars around us thank goodness but the car slammed on the brakes with no warning. If someone had been behind us we would have been rear ended and possibly hurt.
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft sensor failure. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for the repair. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Hood vibrates wildly with high winds/driving over 65mph/ or tractor trailer passing by on a 2 lane rd. Many times I pull over on the side of the highway inspecting the hood to see if its open but no the latch is closed. Upon research on Ram truck forums this appears to be a massive problem. the 1500 series has a recall TSB 23-029-18 issued but not the 2500, 3500 series. The aluminum hood is flims... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the messages "Engine Hot - Stop Safely" and the "Engine Fault" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced, and the engine needed to be disassembled and reassembled and coolant needed to be added. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light eventually became illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved a fault code for the engine variable valve timing solenoid. The contact was informed that ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
The vehicle brakes have stopped working on this vehicle three times. The Integrated brake system has been worked on several times with loss of brake power happening while I have infants int he car with me several times. The BMW dealership, BMW Fort Washington in Pennsylvania, ahs failed to repair it several times despite requests. I lost braking power today and almost hit two different vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
Brakes have failed twice and been repaired. Several sensors have failed and been repaired. The engine failed and had to be totally rebuilt. The vehicle has only 45000 miles. Minor, but paint has peeled down to bare metal. The engine has just been repaired by dealership - it was a bear to get that accomplished. Ford Corporation would not assist but the dealership itself was very proactive. W... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. 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: Jan 4, 2025
I am writing to formally report a significant issue with my vehicle that has resulted in damage to the roof and potential long-term integrity concerns. The liftgate spoiler is contacting the roof in freezing temperatures, which creates a hole in the roof when opening the liftgate. Upon inspection, it appears there is an insufficient margin between the liftgate spoiler and the roof area centerline... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
This has happened twice now, seemingly out of the blue and seemingly since the Honda dealership replaced the car’s faulty starter and torque wheel. The electric power steering light comes on, the steering becomes stiff and the car hard to control. Luckily the first time, it was quick and then went away. I was rounding a corner and the car became difficult to control. I was going between 35-40 ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was coolant leaking from the bottom of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the "Low Coolant" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
Driving my Rivian R1S on a road trip with family from Seattle, WA to Ketchum, ID (about 600miles.) Stopped to recharge outside of Boise, ID for about 20mins. Started driving again and in about 5 minutes the car started warning (visual message and audible alarm). The following events then occurred: -- The warning message stated something along the line of "Pull over immediately the car will sh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
I bought this car for my daughter during her second year at IU Bloomington, IN. She called in a panic, saying the car hesitated and stopped. She also shared if she turns car off, the car will restart. I advised her to take it to the nearby KIA dealership for inspection. The mechanic, after a test drive, reported no issues and found no error codes using an OBD-II scanner. When my daughter returne... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
Delayed acceleration. Pulling into roadway and vehicle hesitant to go when gas pedal pressed. Unsafe condition
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
Purchased new from dealer. At 3500 miles, noticed rattling and clunking noise under front end, more noticeable at speeds less than 35. Took to dealer who diagnosed as worn struts, saying shocks and struts need to be replaced, but they need to order parts. When asked if safe to drive, was told "yes", but "avoid potholes". Now waiting to hear from dealer when parts come in. They stated it would ta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
The front multipurpose camera that controls all safety features has failed. This is a major safety hazard because almost every safety feature is non functioning. These include automatic emergency brake, blind spot warning, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and all included in the ADAS.