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 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: Jan 4, 2023
I was driving on the highway at 9:30 AM in about 65 degree whether in a 2022 Mercedes Benz CLA equipped with a panoramic sunroof. I got on the exit ramp which was directly under a highway bridge when suddenly I heard a single, loud bang. I look up and realized that my sunroof had completely shattered and I all could see was the bare sky above the windscreen. Luckily, there was no one in the pass... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
The bright lights on both headlights stopped working instantly.. the design is flawed as it operates on a shutter using one bulb.. the malfunction is cause by premature failure of the gears in the shutter. The dealerships are aware of this problem as the shutter is also used in their Telluride vehicles as well… it causes safety issues when driving at night. Kia also knows the problem also the ge... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The crosswind/lane departure system needs to have a way to be disabled by the user. Thanks
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The crosswind/lane departure system needs to have a way to be disabled by the user. Thanks
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Does not adapt to front vehicles speed, just stays at the speed it is set at. I have to hit the brakes to disconnect ACC.
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
My 2016 Honda Accord with 2.4 engine failed due to rod bearing failing at 100K mileage. Knocking from engine bay is what brought my attention to it and from there i brought it into mechanic. I change oil religiously at 5K intervals. I own 4 different accords and never seen this happen before.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
I got a recall notice in Nov,2024 for my 2023 Honda civic, I called the Honda dealer to make an appointment to get my car fixed,The gentleman told me I can't make my appt now he told me I gotta wait because he doesn't have what they need to fix it, he also said I would get another notification about my car's recall..Here it is Jan,2024 still nothing.The parts that got recalled on my car is nothi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
While driving on a highway, with little traffic around, our sunroof exploded, sending shards of glass down. It produced a sound of a gunshot and quite possibly could have resulted in such a distraction to cause a wreck. The vehicle has not been inspected but insurance agents has been contacted. There were no warnings at all.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
Recently bought this car. Headlights are problematic and dangerous. For one, there are unusual dark spots in the SRH headlights. Even if you turn off SRH, they are still there. Very distracting and feel unsafe driving at night. Also, headlights are dim and do not sufficiently illuminate road. . When driving at night with low beams, I get a distinct demarcation line which I have to look under to se... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
Engine codes P0300 and P0302 engine misfires. Engine has unsteady idle and feels sluggish. Engine is consuming coolant. All of these symptoms relate to ford class action lawsuit [XXX] and ford customer program Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion But there... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
Driving in traffic and the engine temperature warning appeared on dash. Dealer has confirmed there is a large coolant leak from the cylinder head. Mazda released a technical service bulletin regarding the issue affecting Mazda6, cx-5 and cx-9, but I will have to pay for a head gasket replacement.
Incident date: Sep 18, 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: Jun 1, 2024
While driving my 2006 Mitsubishi Raider, I was leaving a customer’s home with a load on my truck. The first issue I encountered was that the truck struggled to exit the driveway. Then, I realized I couldn't shift into reverse. Shortly after, it seemed like the gas line or speed mechanism malfunctioned. Suddenly, the truck accelerated uncontrollably, going full speed straight into a house.luckily... 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 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Dodge Charger. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the engine revved to 1,500 RPMs several times. Additionally, the contact stated that the hill assist caused the rear wheels to lock up, and the vehicle lurched forward, nearly striking the rear of a stopped vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the fa... 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: 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
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that there was coolant leaking ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2021
My Forester just totally shuts down sometimes from the auto start feature in traffic or intersections . Errors come up . The wheel locks and I must put the car in park , turn it off and turn it back on. Very scary and very dangerous.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the transmission failed to operate as designed and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality afterwards. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure; however, the check engine warning light illuminated after the failure and remai... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
Rims cracked with normal usage. Current mileage under 17,000. This should not occur, and poses a safety risk with loss of tire pressure.
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
Drivers side mirror vibrates during car operation and limits visibility. This is extremely hazardous during lane changes on multiple lane roads. I have reached out to Toyota multiple times about a resolution but their continued response is that they are aware of the issue but do not seem to be concerned.
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: Dec 1, 2023
“shift to park” message appears after car has already been shifted to park. Will not allow car to be turned off as the car thinks it’s still not in park. Known issue with earlier models of the malibu that warranted a recall of models 2019 and before. Seems like this is a continued issue in the 2020 model
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Fuel inlet light on
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The ICCU on my Ioniq 5 failed without any warning from the car or mobile app. All recalls were performed on the vehicle prior to it failing. I was unable to charge the vehicle on level 1 or level 2 charging. The dealership replaced both the ICCU and fuse on the vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2016
2015 Cadillac SRX is unsafe to drive while using its low beams after dark, and after having its High and Low Beam bulbs replaced. I purchased this car used in March 2024 for my wife. She only occasionally drives but never at night. In April I drove it when nearly dark and thought the low beams were very dim. I called the dealer and asked about getting warranty coverage and was told it had too ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2016
There is an intermittent problem with the transmission. It’s impossible to predict when the transmission will slip. When navigating traffic, it has happened multiple times trying to pull out across oncoming traffic, and the transmission begins slipping so badly in a couple of instances nearly causing a side impact. There are no recalls related to this, but the dealership confirms it is common…... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
Coolant leak, steering power fluid leak, break pad leak, gasoline line leak, seat heater, clicking noise after turning off car, leaking seats and rear view mirror also leaking, steering wheel expanding due to possible air bag, heater and ac vents lose and also chemical smell/gas/coolant coming from front and back of car, sunroof not secured. Every wiring wet, charger port in middle compartment wet... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
small chip / crack in windshield on driver side view
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
Car indicating drivetrain malfunction and BMW has a service bulletin for the described issue which is to replace the transfer case yet the dealer service center has tried to say it was the radiator blinds and it was not, now saying its spark plugs and ignition coils yet there aren’t any fault codes for it. The car has lost power while on the freeway and could be potentially dangerous since it ha... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The transmission failed. It is not able to be inspected unless retrieved by the dealer. While driving the vehicle the transmission would disengage. There were no warning lights or failures picked up by the CAN bus. This would happen during normal driving on the highway, potentially leaving the vehicle stranded in the middle of the highway. When issue occurred the transmission would make a whining... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
The rear wheels lock and most of the time its hard shifting/ or it feels like it struggling to shift to the next gear
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
Driver side sun visor fell off hinge and was dangling from wire that powers vanity mirror. Plastic part holding it up seems to have fallen off. No screws there. Had to hold it in one hand until I could pull over and figure out how to stow it.
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
Passenger side rear seat (40% side) is missing all mounting bolts required to secure seat to vehicle. I purchased the vehicle as a preowned unit and noticed squeaking and a rattle coming from the rear seats. Upon inspection, I discovered that the seat is only resting on the floor and with little effort the seat can be dislodged.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
During a U-turn, when I turned the steering wheel my vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpected. I suspect there may have been a malfunction in the vehicle's electronic control system that caused this sudden unintended acceleration. I did alert Honda North America to study the problem. On [XXX], while driving on a narrow street at a speed of less than 5 miles per hour, my vehicle suddenly acceler... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a red light, the vehicle stalled. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The contact stated that the failure occurred on several occasions and the vehicle was no longer drivable and failed to return to normal operation. The contact stated that several unknown ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
I purchased the vehicle on 12/21/24, and I now have a check engine light with a code related to "The Engine and Transmission System is not performing as expected. An issue has been detected in the Fuel Management System used to maintain, control, and monitor fuel consumption." I am not sure if my safety is at risk as the service center cannot currently schedule a service appointment to confirm th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal whining sound was coming from the vehicle and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the “Service Engine Soon” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact used a code reader and retrieved information that the failure was related to th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low-voltage battery warning light illuminated and white smoke exited from under the hood compartment. The contact stated that the failure occurred directly as he arrived at his residence. The contact parked the vehicle and opened the hood. The contact noticed a crackling sound. The cont... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
seat belt on driver's side will not latch unless release button is pressed.
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
the passenger restraint system malfunction error came out several times since last month.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
My vehicle had a previous recall done concerning the steering - recall #24V022000 of 2024-01-17. That corrected a problem I was having with a 'notchy' feeling in the steering when going down a relatively straight road. The problem I am having now with the steering is different and IMO is more dangerous of an issue. The problem is a notchy and "locked" feeling when the steering wheel is turned a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The brakes and rotors need to be replaced every 3-6 months. They have been fixed at least 4 times under warranty. Every time I take the car in I get asked if I drove through the mountains because they are fried. This vehicle has never been in the mountains because I fear what will happen if it really were driven through the mountains. However, no excessive braking occurs to cause them to be ruined... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
The screen in most 2018-present jeep compasses are defective. My car just fell out of the warranty time frame and shortly after the screen failed resulting in no alerts via the back up camera. The camera helps alert you to things you can not see in your blind spots behind the vehicle resulting in a serious safety issue for pedestrians/ small children etc outside of the vehicle and also poses a thr... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
The screen in most 2018-present jeep compasses are defective. My car just fell out of the warranty time frame and shortly after the screen failed resulting in no alerts via the back up camera. The camera helps alert you to things you can not see in your blind spots behind the vehicle resulting in a serious safety issue for pedestrians/ small children etc outside of the vehicle and also poses a thr... Read more