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
SUBARU
LEGACY
(2021) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
May 14, 2024
Incident date: May 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, an alarm sounded, and the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving, causing the ABS and the cruise control features to become inoperable. The contact stated while driving and slamming on the brakes on several occasions to come to a complete sto... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2021
All warning systems triggered, repeatedly, over the past year. Honda dealership misdiagnosed as a fuel injector. Had fuel injector replaced, but same issue occurred and this time all warnings came on and vehicle lost power on highway with my baby daughter inside. So, after spending thousands attempting to resolve the issue, I towed again to Honda and it was correctly diagnosed as a failed head ... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was misfiring. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware of coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
I hit an elk on the road. The elk came in direct impact with the front of my truck. No air bags deployed despite the force of the significant frontal impact. There had been no warnings or messages leading up to this that the airbags were not functional, nor was I notified that these airbags were part of any recall. To my knowledge, they are not. The vehicle is currently at a collision center... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The steering becomes sticky after driving for about 15 minutes or so and seems to occur more on warmer days (above 70F). this occurs both at highway speeds and also at lower speeds. For example when making a slight turn to the left or right the wheel will stick at that position and you will need to force the wheel to go back to center. This can cause you to over steer and end up out of your lane... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I am writing to submit a formal complaint concerning a persistent and costly issue with the 2021 Ford F-250 and models from previous and newer years, specifically related to the roof molding. It has come to my attention that numerous owners of these vehicles, including myself, are facing significant financial burdens due to a design flaw that necessitates the replacement of the roof molding. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2024
On [XXX] while I was driving in Reno Nevada with the truck without warning smoke started to come out of the hood, fluid was coming out from under truck, fire department came made sure fire was extinguished, vehicle towed to Dolan Dodge Ram Fiat in Reno Nevada. It was determined that the fire was caused but the recall issues, case was opened with Ram and as of today 5/13/2024 Ram has not repaired ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 13, 2024
While driving on the Highway at 70 mph car started to slow and stall. I pulled out on an access road where I was able to come to a stop and push car into a fast food restaurant. This was the first incident. The second time it also stops while I was driving. We had to have it towed back home.
Incident date: May 6, 2024
For almost 5 years everytime I fill my gas tank the fumes leak from my car. About 2 days ago the tank started leaking gas from a huge crack in the tank. I told the Ford service center about this issue and they said that my individual car wasn't under the recall (for this exact issue) so they can only look at it and see what they can do. I know of a few other Focus models (a little newer than my 20... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2024
Took Tesla's 30-day free trial offer of Full Self-Driving (supervised) for my Model Y. Encountered several concerning situations: 1. Autopilot failed to detect a parking barrier arm, causing acceleration towards it; fortunately, I intervened in time. 2. Merged onto the highway in the wrong lane, prompting honks from vehicles behind me. 3. Wheel hit the side road curb when making a right turn, dama... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
On multiple separate occasions, the engine and transmission have failed catastrophically leaving the vehicle without power and unable to perform emergency maneuvers. After only months of owning the vehicle, the engine block cracked and was misdiagnosed by dealer 2 times. I was forced to drive the faulty and dangerous vehicle 1.5hrs back to the dealer on a busy interstate and vehicle was improperly... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
Drove my car home and parked in my driveway with no issues. 9 hours later when I was about leaving for work, started the car but car won't start. I jumpstarted the car then all of a sudden the (Drive) Shift knob light was flashing, warnings started flashing, hill start assist not available, service vehicle soon, pre collision assist not available, service advance Trac, and parking brake applied a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
i have a 2016 Kia Soul EV+. The Hghi Voltage Battery Pack Assembly is malfunctioning and it only charges to 30 percent or a 30-mile range. It should charge to a 90-mile range. While driving, it suddenly drops from a 25-mile range to an 18- mile range, I sometimes smell an electrical burning smell. When the battery gets down to an 18-mile range. it suddenly starts to drop dramatically. The car... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off and later attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The battery was then recharged. The failure occurred on several occasions before the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic. The local mechanic was unable to diagnose a failure or determine a cause for the failure. Additionally, aft... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that her husband discovered that the timing chain had failed. In addition, there was an excessive consumption of oil causing the contact to add engine oil frequently. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced but no furthe... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2024
I choose "other" because you don't have their uconnect system listed as an option. I few years ago the radio began channel channels randomly every once in a while. This would usually stop once the vehicle was shut off and then restarted. It was so infrequent that it wasn't that big a deal. Then it started happening more frequently and I went online to the Ram forums and found that tons of peop... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving or parked, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact replaced the battery, and the warning lights were deactivated. The contact stated the strong fuel odor persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed wit... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2024
The rear shock is leaking/bad. My car only has 30K miles. It caused my wheels to wear unevenly, which could have led me and my family to have a car accident if a wheel popped while driving. An independent service center has confirmed this when the vehicle failed inspection. No warning of the issue.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
My vehicle has the Snow White Pearl paint on it, and it has been peeling from years. I have taken this to a number of body shops and they say its a factory defect. Kia acknowledges that it is a defect and have offered if I got it fixed to submit a case to see if they would reimburse it, however, this is over 10k out of pocket.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
Got on freeway on ramp. About 3/4 of a mile later, warning came on “Stop Safely, vehicle will shut off soon” - red turtle appeared, and service engine soon light came on. 1. Transmission - it is at this point, but part has been ordered to replace 2.Going freeway speeds (73MPH) and had to immediately slow and pull over with little warning. If the traffic would have been heavier, there is a g... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Chongqing Astronautic Bashan Motorcycle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and applying the brakes, the rear brakes of the motorcycle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had diagnosed the motorcycle and determined that the rear brake assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted for parts and informed... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
On a recent road trip my family and I experienced an issue with the Brake Assist on my 2016 GMC Sierra. When I returned back from our vacation I took the vehicle to a 3rd party mechanic that I trusted to perform diagnostics. He advised that I would need a new vacuum pump and stretch belt to correct the issue. Upon receiving this information I advised him to move forward with the repair. What I did... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The windshield has cracked now, unprovoked for the second time in the exact same way it did 2 years ago. I came out to my car and it was parked, and the same crack it had 2 years ago was visible on the windshield. A crack starting from the passenger side that travels to the middle of the windshield. I have heard about many other Subaru drivers having this issue and their windshield cracking the ex... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
I was driving down the freeway and my truck when into reduced power mode, displaying " Powertrain malfunction/Reduced power, engine service soon, and precollision assistance not available". This ended up slowing me rapidly from 65 down to under 20 miles. I almost had a semi slam into the back of me missing me by inches.
Incident date: May 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Crugen HP71, Tire Size: 215/55/R18, DOT Number: [XXX]. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the warning light was reset. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that the tires were defective; however, the dealer refused ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Crugen HP71, Tire Size: 215/55/R18, DOT Number: [XXX]. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the warning light was reset. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that the tires were defective; however, the dealer refused ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Excessive wear on Tires at the edge due to vehicle not holding alignment. Contacted tire manufacturer with pictures and they have confirmed its a vehicle alignment issue. Vehicle has been aligned at Toyota dealership always, but still it is consuming tires and outer edges are now below dangerous levels. Toyota is offering no remedy
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
I have been facing transmission issues that require the vehicle to shift up to move even at low speeds, with the transmission shifting either hard or smoothly, and often unnecessarily to a higher gear. This issue is rare but occurs frequently. I think this is a factory defect because I have been seeing lots of YouTube videos where they mention that the transition in these cars feels jerky, sluggis... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted 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 manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Engine Problems Due to Excessive Oil Consumption, Rattling, and Failure. Then There Is The Electrical Issues Which Would Drive Anyone Insane causing certain functions not to work. The constant dimming of the screen it self.Im very upset cause im a single mom of a college student, I can’t afford these kind of issues.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced..but back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced..but back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if... Read more
SUBARU
ASCENT
(2020) — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:AIR HANDLER/CHAMBER, DUCTS, AND VALVES
May 7, 2024
Incident date: May 7, 2024
the blower in my Truck seems to be malfunctioning. while the AC or heater will turn it when first started, approx. 20 minutes into driving and it quits blowing. you can hear it blowing but nothing comes out of the vents. this first happened at 300 miles while running the heater and I had no defrost! I repeatedly had to stop and wipe down the windshield in order to see! when sent in for repair they... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
I was in the service lane waiting for an oil change for my 2022 RAM 1500. My car was in parking mode. A service tech plugged a "pod" or "OBD2" and asked me to drive the car with the pod plugged. As soon as I tried to pull out my lane the car acceleraterated even though I was not pressing on the gas pedal. I tried to hit the brake but car would not stop for few seconds until I hit the parked car in... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 2, 2024
Two different issues occurred. While driving the check engine light came on and then went off about 10 minutes later. While driving the vehicle to get check engine light code checked temperature suddenly jumped from normal operating temp just below mid to the top with instrument panel dinging saying engine overheating idle engine. As trying to make way to side of road the blind spot warning on pas... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2024
The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced..but back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2024
While driving the cruise control shut off, all dash lights came on - ABS brakes, traction control, etc. We stopped at the next service center and called tech support. Tech support felt it was a bad sensor which would correct itself after engine shut off for a little while. The motorhome would be safe to get to a repair center. Shutting the engine off did not correct the issue - the lights continue... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2024
While driving the cruise control shut off, all dash lights came on - ABS brakes, traction control, etc. We stopped at the next service center and called tech support. Tech support felt it was a bad sensor which would correct itself after engine shut off for a little while. The motorhome would be safe to get to a repair center. Shutting the engine off did not correct the issue - the lights continue... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Canyon. The contact noticed that there was wiring appearing from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear sub frame was rusted and cracked. Additionally, the parking brake cable was hanging from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2024
While driving at approximately 40mph, the 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid suddenly went into "Limp Mode" with speed instantly dropping to approximately 10mph. Did not lose power, the dashboard stayed lit but showed no warnings. Vehicle would not accelerate above 10mph. This happened without warning. I pulled over and shut off the vehicle then restarted it and after that, it operated fine. If I had been... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2024
On Saturday morning may 4th, I found the driver side window smashed in and lots of broken glass on street and in my car. I wasn't driving .. it was parked on atreet
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the A-pillar began to detach from both sides of the windshield. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2024
The Eyesight system on my 2023 Subaru Outback will suddenly stop working. It will go out in all conditions, mornings, afternoons and evenings. Sometimes it will go out a a minute or two. Other times it will be out for hours. Since the feature is involved with automatic braking, this poses a safety hazard if there is any kind of driver distraction that occurs, even if it is from an external so... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2024
Stress crack in gel coat under right side kitchen slide
Incident date: May 6, 2024
Vehicle’s dash panel just started cracking three years ago for no apparent reason. By the day the cracks continue. My concern is over time the cracks will become so bad the air bag will deploy prematurely causing injury. This is a known issue in Hyundai Sonata from 2011-2014. This is not due to extreme heat. This is a defect and should be addressed before someone gets seriously hurt.
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2015) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 6, 2024
Incident date: May 5, 2024
The blower motor harness melted for the second time. The blower motor was replaced with the recall part and it has melted again. This is causing the blower motor to cut off at any given moment. I must then reach under the dash and push the wires in order for the blower motor to work again. I have read that this is a known problem in expeditions. Why isn’t this part under recall? Does the blower ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2024
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine shut off and I lost the ability to accelerate. The issue only resolved when I turned off the vehicle and opened my car door while on the highway and had oncoming cars driving next to me at 55+ MPH. After shutting the car door and turning the vehicle back on, I was able to continue to dr... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2024
The backup camera seemingly blinks just as you begin backing up and at random times as the vehicle is backing up causing vision to be lost
Incident date: Aug 5, 2021
Steering shaft came apart causing the vehicle to go out of control. Yes inspection is available. Vehicle went into opposing traffic and hit barrier on opposite side of road. Vehicle was inspected by No warning lamp
Crash
Incident date: May 2, 2024
My dash board is cracking and the Hyundai dealership don’t seem to think it’s a safety recall. And I found this information, saying this sonatas due to defective materials used for the dashboard that may cause it to crack and form sharp edges, potentially causing injury during an accident. The recall affects over 220,000 vehicles and requires dealers to replace the dashboard in affected mode... Read more