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: Sep 8, 2024
The vehicle loses power, at a certain point it does not accelerate and does not respond well, which is a major safety problem when you need it on the road.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
On or about 13 May 2024 my family and I traveling. During the travel the vehicle displayed “Hybrid System Stop and Do Not Drive”. We took it in to Kia during the time that they had the vehicle, they informed us that it needed an ECU update (recall). When services were finished, we picked up the vehicle and was made to pay for services that were part of the recall. When we left the dealership,... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
My vehicle started to show a shift to park message. I took it to Firestone and they replaced the switch. This started happening again 2 weeks later. It is worse this time. It takes me several minutes to get my car to acknowledge that it is in fact in park.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
Power steering completely went out and no parts available to fix it.
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The rear motor failed on my car. It has less than 4,000 miles on it. It is already being worked on. The car barely gave me 10 seconds before it lost power, locked up and wouldn’t move. Yes. They told me the rear motor failed and needed to be replaced. Tesla inspected it themselves and confirmed the issue. Yes, they appeared 10 seconds before it died, I had no other warnings prior to that. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
No fix for recall that originated in 2022
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
I was rear-ended and the driver's seat did not maintain it's position and fell into the seat behind it.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
While driving the red light sign comes on and says collision and stays on, the rear inside lights come on and stay on, the dash goes out into black and does not show anything but comes back on after reseting from steering wheel. The attention monitor also starts saying pay attention even tho your watching the road ahead and will start beeping louder and louder.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
the main screen display showing speed, milage, camera etc randomly goes black and its not working. This affects working of turn signals, cameras on the side of the vehicle that aid in changing lanes and its overall a safety issue.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Charcoal fuel filter system - I purchased my vehicle brand new. This went out the first 10 months I had the vehicle. There are numerous owners having the same issue. It seems my vehicle is having the same issues again!!! VW tried telling me I’m over filling my car. This is an incorrect statement. I place nozzle in gas tank, set lever to fill, wait until it clicks. I would never intentionally ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 328I. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the manual door locks became inoperable. The contact had to climb out of the driver's side window to exit the vehicle. The contact was able to enter the vehicle by using the key fob. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
the number 4 and 5 cylinders warped in my 3.6 engine Cross Motors in Louisville Ky is repairing the engine
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
I have had two incidents with the automatic braking system occur in a short period of time. The Lyriq is not a car that I drive very often so when the incidents occurred in the last 2 of the 3 times of driving the car it makes me scared to drive the car again. The first incident occurred while driving at approximately 35 mph. The road I was on had 4 lanes with a turn lane in the middle dividing ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at highway speeds, the front end of the vehicle was shaking and vibrating, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the con... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
Component: Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) My car has less than 2,000 miles on it. I have experienced the situation described below 3 times now. Traffic on a freeway/highway slowed down quickly, and I stepped on the brake pedal to slow down quickly but still gradually. However, the collision auto-braking system activated and my car suddenly halted to a stop with plenty of room (about 1... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak. The dealer determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
The horn in the car is very weak and not heard by 3d party when used. Had several occurrences when I needed to use the horn and the 3d party never mentioned it. It is a by far weaker than any other of my cars.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Element. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear trailing arm mount was severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to an independent frame mechanic, where the contact was informed that the rear trailing arm mount could fracture. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
Passenger airbag system error light has been on for at least 14 months and avoided repair in June of 2023 at Orem, UT dealership. Air bag may not deploy in the event of accident. My pregnant wife is primary passenger. It’s a known issue that has a recall but no fix. The recall numbers are 24V464 (nhtsa) and 69PZ (Volkswagen). This recall was issued June 2024. Dealership instructed me to wait for... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, while slowing for traffic ahead, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact pumped the brake pedal until the Forward Collision Avoidance system engaged and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The frame is rusting out substantially. The dealer advised me not to drive because the frame could fail at anytime. I have been driving around unaware of the problem. I could have been killed if the framed failed on the highway. There was no warning light. The Vehicle has been into the dealer and no one mentioned the problem until 08/30/2024. The Vehicle has been maintained and garaged. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while leaving a parking space, the power steering functionality became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn after restarting the vehicle. The contact checked the tires for low air pressure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 GMC 1500 Denali equipped with Land Spider Tires, Tire Line: Wild Traxx, Tire Size: 35x121/2/R22, DOT: (N/A). The contact stated that while diving at various speeds and turning, the tires were rubbing against the sidewall. The coolant line blew out. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The headlight assemblies has a random blinking, flashing, flicker, on/off problem. This causes people to think I am either flashing them or blinking my light at them. Major safety concern!! GM is aware of this issue and does not have a fix. I requested a different vehicle to drive until they fix this safety issue and was denied.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
Out of nowhere, I couldn’t get the car to start. It keeps saying “Low Braking Power”. I had someone checked with Code Scanner and nothing shows up, and it’s not battery issue neither. The car guy said there’s a very high chance the issue is from the brake booster vacuum pump.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
Collant bypass valve premature failure at 35K
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
There was a SUDDEN and UNINTENDED acceleration without the driver input while braking to park going approximately 1 - 2 MPH. Our safety was at risk. The vehicle was not in our control. A police report was generated. Rather than stopping we crashed into the apartment building causing significant damage to both the apartment and our vehicle. There were no warnings, no automatic braking to avoid... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
Brakes are season up at only 42,000 miles
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
when I purchased the vehicle the check engine light came on the day after. It would come on and off as I would start and turn off the vehicle. The salesman told me that the check engine light was still on because they had just serviced it and it needed to be reset. No driving problems occurred until a year later. I took the vehicle to be diagnosed three times by three different auto mechanics. The... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Fuel pump failing Reverse switch failing
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Upon parking after 20-mile drive, severe leak of transmission oil from transmission oil cooler area, no warning messages/lights or fault codes present. No evidence of leak at starting point for drive, was sudden failure internal to transmission cooler with no evidence of impact/vibration damage or corrosion; failure was perhaps at welds of fins to tubing. Leaking oil creates fire and slip hazard, ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Rocker arm on left (as you are facing engine from outside vehicle) back rear left is making a cherping noise when engine gets warmed up. Dealership & 2 separate mechanics say the cam shaft and lifters need replaced, or the whole engine should be replaced. Vehicle has 162500 miles on it. Noise started about a week after my last oil change on 6/11/24.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2024
Failure of the Front windshield mounted monocular camera from overheating causes all advanced driver assistance systems to shut down such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, etc. This is a very common occurrence in not just the Honda Odyssey, but other Honda models as well. A new part can be anywhere from one to two thousand requiring dealer calibration. The heat ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
Headlights flash intermittently while driving. I have not reported this to manufacturer since this is a known issue. Wanted to report to ensure vehicle is listed for safety recall/repair when available.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
The issue involves the headlight assemblies flickering frequently. The whole headlight assembly will randomly turn off and on, one at a time typically. It will cause temporary loss of sight down road at night. I have also noticed other motorists flash their brights at me thinking that's what the flicker was, so it's causing disruptions to other drivers as well. GM is aware of the issue but has no ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Driving on the highway heard large rattling noise coming from engine loss of power engine light came on battery light came on no acceleration cause to slow down on highway fortunately I was able to get to shoulder had it towed to service shop had p0012 code tensioner may have broken off on timing belt causing low oil pressure and causing engine rattling noise and engine shut down but service garag... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Driving on the highway heard large rattling noise coming from engine loss of power engine light came on battery light came on no acceleration cause to slow down on highway fortunately I was able to get to shoulder had it towed to service shop had p0012 code tensioner may have broken off on timing belt causing low oil pressure and causing engine rattling noise and engine shut down but service garag... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Under Subaru campaign WQK47, which supersedes an earlier campaign, 05-09 Legacy/Outback and other models are known to undergo accelerated brake line corrosion due to sub-par materials and design. Subaru of America's "fix" for this issue is to inspect the lines: if the lines are compromised, they replace them. If the lines are corroded but not yet compromised, the lines are coated with an anti-co... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
Inquiry Regarding Safety Recall and Manufacturer Responsability Dear NHTSA, I am seeking your assistance regarding a vehicle I imported from the United States to Iceland. The vehicle, Jaguar i-pace 2019, has been identified as having a defective and dangerous battery, which is part of a safety recall in the U.S. Despite this, the manufacturer’s representative in Iceland refuses to honor the re... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
ON thursday night at about [XXX] i was driving in the carpool lane going north.in the [XXX] , with full tank of gas ; suddenly i felt and here a noise, and the vehicle (2021outback base) start losing power, at the point that totally stop. call 911, and few minutes after the hway patrol came and push us out of the freeway, there was not any shoulder to be safe out. when the police officer try to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
During my vacation in the USA 2014 i bought the used car with the named VIN. The car was exported from the USA to Switzerland. He is still in service until today. The car is not listed in your database. I can't imagine, that this car escapes from the "screen", after exporting, like "out of sight, out of mind". I am aware of various recalls for this type of vehicle and i suspect that my vehicle is ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
No accident everythink working perfect
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
Driving using adaptive cruise control on [XXX] in Nebraska. Sunny, dry day, no cars or trucks around us. Speed approx 80. Vehicle unexpectedly brakes very hard. Was able to recover by accelerating but very dangerous if there had been a vehicle following behind us. Car has done this many times since purchased. Will avoid using cruise control. It is not safe! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FR... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 contact stated that the check engine warning light, the brake light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel inje... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine was extremely hot; however, the engine did not overheat. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact's brother, who is an independent mechanic, performed diagnostic test and retrieved DTC code: P26B7. The contact stated that... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the backup camera was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V082000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Dick Smith Ford Inc., (9505 E ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer ... Read more