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 12, 2025
Heated seat had stopped working, checked and found the problem. The module that controls the heated seats had a melted connector and wires, causing the seat to no longer be able to have heated seats.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
I was driving in the middle lane on I96 west when the dashboard lite up fully every light alerting me of every possible thing that needs attention known to man. This isn’t the first time this has happened but it is was the first time on the highway. I attempted to move the steering wheel which wasn’t working-I’m guessing the power steering wasn’t working, I slowly moved to the far right la... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
My Jeep Wrangler 2020 Sports Unlimited started malfunctioning on the road and the Jeep stopped, started smoking, caught on fire, and Blew up
Fire
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
I am uncertain of what’s causing this major issue to happen. I see a lot of forums of other customers having the same exact issue and it is a HUGE SAFETY RISK in my personal opinion from experience. For the last maybe 9 months I’ve been dealing with the auto stop feature coming on, then once you let off the break the car doesn’t crank back up. This is very scary in traffic and stoplights muc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
There is standing water on the driver’s side floorboard and a sloshing noise can be heard while driving. This appears to match conditions described in a Technical Service Bulletin (reference: NTB14-105a). The issue is especially bad in rainy conditions and the accumulation of moisture causes condensation on the inside of the windshield and windows making it difficult to clear off to see while dr... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
Transmission is slipping not getting power when gas is pressed down Rpms are jumping not going into gear. Making a terrible sound in park. Passenger door not closing
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
when ve give gas padle want go above 20 mph and check engin light is on and car shake bad
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
Car will not shift out of Park and getting an error message of "P0929.00-A Gear Shift Lock Solenoid/Actuator Circuit A Range/Performance". There appears to be an issue with the gear shift module, and many others are experiencing the same issue. This issue could cause the driver to be stranded wherever the car decides to lock up. Anytime the driver puts the car in Park, it may not shift out of it ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
when ve give gas padle want go above 20 mph and check engin light is on and car shake bad
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
Shark fin antenna - Telematic control module malfunctioning. Seems to have a leak issue causing modules inside/under antenna to get wet from rain or car washes. This is causing an error message "SOS emergency call system malfunctioning", you will not be able to make calls under an emergency. Other issues include GPS, remote start, lane assist, adaptive cruise control etc... not working properly a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds on several occasions, while making left or right turns, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the “Steering assist fault - Service Required" and "Traction - Steering Assist Failure” message was displayed on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was white exhaust smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while inspecting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Experiencing repeated coolant leaks. Heating/coolant was repaired last winter. Failed again this winter. Car keeps needing additional coolant added. Will be taking it in on Monday to find out which parts failed this time.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
Back in late November 2024, Tesla pushed an Over-The-Air (OTA) update to my 2024 Tesla Model Y. Immediately after pushing this OTA, all of my car's cameras stopped working (INCLUDING my rear or "backup" camera). This is in violation of federal law as all new vehicles are required to have a backup camera. Additional safety-critical items were also impacted: the rear-view and both of the side mirror... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
honor catalytic converter failure under manufacturer warranty which they refuse to honor after 90 days at the kia service center , and fail to replace the defective part
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
First, Side Detection System warning light would come on, then all dashboard gauges would fail and go to position as if the car war turned off, doors and windows would not unlock or open, series of warning messages would pop up as if all systems were malfunctioning. Car would still drive but if you turn the engine off all electrical systems would stay on for a extended period of time. Vehicle wo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
Car stops abruptly when no objects or cars are in the road - had to push through on the gas to not be hit/cause and accident. • Seems to be (NTB19-033F). But no longer/ never active for 2019 Rogue? • Can kill someone and cause severe damage to humans and vehicles/property. • Has happened twice (June 2024, January 2025) thankfully with no crashes, but very possible. • Local dealership says... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
Car stops abruptly when no objects or cars are in the road - had to push through on the gas to not be hit/cause and accident. • Seems to be (NTB19-033F). But no longer/ never active for 2019 Rogue? • Can kill someone and cause severe damage to humans and vehicles/property. • Has happened twice (June 2024, January 2025) thankfully with no crashes, but very possible. • Local dealership says... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
Passenger side sliding door makes noise and won't open remotely or manually. When it does open it will close on its own sometimes making it dangerous when loading my children.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
The vehicle was sold with significant rust damage to the underbody of the truck. The truck parts are rusted to a point the suspension, and axel are about to fall out. The truck is leaking gasoline due to the amount of rust. The power steering that they fixed after one day driving it had issues when sold is still having issues leaking fluid. It has been deemed unsafe to drive on road. The dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
1st incident, weather conditions were rainy. Drove to store, shut off truck, started truck, service engine soon light came on #1-Ford pass message-powertrain control module lost communication or has detected incompatible software from the glow plug. service engine soon light #2-Powertrain control module lost communication with the glow plug, additional alerts along with a hard start or no start co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
Yesterday, halfway through the freeway, I stopped speeding up and the troubleshooting lights turned on at the CVT at Lus from Check Engine, I was able to step aside and the transmission box stopped working and I had to request towing service to the dealership and today they called me to tell me they need to replace the transmission.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding an ongoing issue I have encountered with my 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Recently, I experienced a significant problem with the vehicle’s trunk and rear seat release mechanism, which has made it impossible for me to access the trunk or fold down the rear seats. The specific issues I am facing are as follows: Trunk Latch Stuck: The trunk latch has ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
I replaced fuel injectors in my 2017 honda crv in September 2024 at Northtown Honda in Buffalo, NY. In November 2024 my girlfriend was driving the vehicle in Michigan and the car slowed down to below 20 mph on the highway and flashed all dashboard warning lights, what Honda refers to as "limp mode". This almost caused her get hit by a semi truck. The car was towed to Honda of Grand Blanc and I was... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
Engine failure will be caused by shrapnel in the engine (Dealer told me Hyundai is aware it was not vacuumed out properly in this particular batch of engines) leading to ruts being warn in the cylinder causing oil to leak past piston rings. Loses so much oil quickly. Extended warranty may deny due to 3 missed air filter changes
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
Engine block cracked, passenger cabin filled with noxious odder. Vehicle was suddenly leaking oil at high rate.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
I took my 2019 Toyota 4 Runner Limited Edition for maintenance/repair and it was identified the entire under carriage and frame is rusting out creating safety issues. This vehicle has never has never been flooded or exposed to northern salted roads. The garage repair shop was afraid to repair the vehicle as they identified this is a huge safety issue. They could not understand that a 5 year old ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
I took my 2019 Toyota 4 Runner Limited Edition for maintenance/repair and it was identified the entire under carriage and frame is rusting out creating safety issues. This vehicle has never has never been flooded or exposed to northern salted roads. The garage repair shop was afraid to repair the vehicle as they identified this is a huge safety issue. They could not understand that a 5 year old ca... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The Honda sense front facing camera has went out on my 2018 Honda Odyssey. The camera is currently still installed in my van and if it is necessary to replace to keep it from draining the battery I will request that the faulty part be provided to me. This camera being faulty causes the loss of cruise control, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, lane keep assist and emergency breaking. This i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling the engine would suddenly stall off and could not be immediately restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the catalytic converter but the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who replaced the battery, engine coil pact, and fuel injectors ... Read more
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: Jan 4, 2025
Nov. 7, 2025 - After returning home around 4pm, I parked the car in my garage, and entered my home. Due to the sound of the fan motor which stays on after you shut off the car, it is possible that the engine was still running when I thought it was off. Please note that my garage is attached to my home. Around 1am I awoke and went into the bedroom on the far side of my home which sits directly ab... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Nov. 7, 2025 - After returning home around 4pm, I parked the car in my garage, and entered my home. Due to the sound of the fan motor which stays on after you shut off the car, it is possible that the engine was still running when I thought it was off. Please note that my garage is attached to my home. Around 1am I awoke and went into the bedroom on the far side of my home which sits directly ab... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
Blower motor and resistor, wire lume melting. So many people have the same issue on several different models. Same part, same issues that could cause a fire. Well know issue by Dealership and auto repair facilities.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
The contact owned a 2016 Lexus ES. The contact stated while at a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to engage and the vehicle unintentionally accelerated which caused the front driver's side of the vehicle to crash into another vehicle. There was severe cosmetic damage however, no injuries was sustained. The air bags was deployed. No warning light was illuminated.... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
Since October 2022, we have had to replace the front signal wiring harnesses on the car four (4) times due to the wiring being coated with a substance that rodents are being attracted to. It seems that is has happened again. We have not yet taken it to our repair shop for confirmation this time, but we had an incident with our Kia (Vin [XXX] ) in November 2024. In this case the clutch assembly ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Constant malfunction of Infortainment center. Turn indicators do not always work. Lately braking error messages. Volvo said it needs software updates. That has been done multiple times. This time it lasted several days and was completely black. You cannot see any information. No radio, no Bluetooth, no GPS, no data on car systems. Car has had problems for almost 2 years and excuse is always t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
After performing a panic stop where the Pre-Collision activation message and chime activated, nothing happened until a few miles down the road. At that time, The "Service AdvanceTrac," "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" and "Hill Start Assist" warning messages scrolled on the cluster with a chime to go with them. Additionally, the amber tell tale warning lights for the ABS system, electric par... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
My vehicle is part of the jaguar recall H514. I have started the buyback process with jaguar and they are being slow and now I have a car that is only charging to 80% and I am scared to drive it. when I reach out to Jaguar they tell there is a process and that this will all take time. My issues is that it was me who started the process and per your recall notice they were supposed to contact vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
My vehicle is part of the jaguar recall H514. I have started the buyback process with jaguar and they are being slow and now I have a car that is only charging to 80% and I am scared to drive it. when I reach out to Jaguar they tell there is a process and that this will all take time. My issues is that it was me who started the process and per your recall notice they were supposed to contact vehi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
This is the 3rd incident with the same issue. I lose power when on a freeway. (Other dates [XXX] and [XXX]). On [XXX] I entered [XXX] and had accelerated onto the freeway. Shortly after getting on the ramp, my check engine light went on/blinking and I couldn't accelerate anymore. I was able to pull over on the shoulder. I turned the car off, waited a minute and then turned it on again and t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
This is the 3rd incident with the same issue. I lose power when on a freeway. (Other dates [XXX] and [XXX]). On [XXX] I entered [XXX] and had accelerated onto the freeway. Shortly after getting on the ramp, my check engine light went on/blinking and I couldn't accelerate anymore. I was able to pull over on the shoulder. I turned the car off, waited a minute and then turned it on again and t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
bad transmission at only 75,000 miles
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
On Saturday, [XXX], I drove from Woodbridge, VA to Fairfax, VA without any issues or error messages. Car was parked and locked for approximately 2 1/4 hours. When I came back out to the car and opened the door, the display behind the steering wheel stated "System communication fault. Pilot Assist deactivated. Find a place to stop and select P to park. When parked, the system will reset." I ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
On Saturday, [XXX], I drove from Woodbridge, VA to Fairfax, VA without any issues or error messages. Car was parked and locked for approximately 2 1/4 hours. When I came back out to the car and opened the door, the display behind the steering wheel stated "System communication fault. Pilot Assist deactivated. Find a place to stop and select P to park. When parked, the system will reset." I ... 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: Jan 4, 2025
While driving the vehicle there’s a wobbling sound on the front. Morgan Hill Dealer said I have to replace 4 tires. The vehicle has less than 20k miles driven. Also it feels like the steering wheels gets sticky at times. The noise is getting worst. Please help?
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
According to Tesla the AI4 computer experienced an internal short circuit. This has rendered all cameras including backup camera, GPS, parking sensors, and automatic wipers inoperable. The visibility out of the vehicle is very poor to the rear without the backup camera. Parking without the rear camera and parking sensors is difficult. Not having physical controls for the wipers makes turning them ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
Parking my car in a space with other cars. Nowhere near the car in front of me and the car just locked up the brakes. It was jarring and really strained my neck as I wasn’t expecting it. My daughter was in the car as well and was jarred.