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: Apr 14, 2024
The "distronic" cruise control is so abrupt in its acceleration and declaration that vehicles behind me tend to take evasive action. The car doesn't sense vehicles far enough ahead to take smooth action, resulting in a jarring, favorite, and fearful ride.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
Message saying driver restraint failure, air bags may not deploy properly. Random event, has been an issue with bmw i3 models.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The alarm light and bell goes off. The 'Service Antilock Brake System' and 'Service Electronic Braking System' lights flash. This occurs intermittently while pulling a 5th wheel camper. The brakes work @ 30-40% strength. This is a safety issue. We thought it was an issue with the campers breaks, however, after connecting it to another trailer, the same thing happened. We had to take it to the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the auto windshield wipers failed to function as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
I was traveling from Tennessee to Indiana on [XXX] going about 76 mph. I attempted to switch lanes and at the same time the other vehicle decided to speed up as the semi behind started speeding up. When my 2024 Santa Cruz Turbo (which only has 12,000 miles) jerked and started slowing down, the check engine light came on and it started declining acceleration. I mashed the gas and nothing happened (... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
The cylinder head and timing cover are leaking oil and need to be replaced. It is at the dealer and available for inspection. The car started smoking and lost oil obscuring my vision. The problem appears to be well known by the dealer and they were able to diagnose the issue. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealer where I purchased it. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2020
The car was built & sold new, with the rear suspension not aligned properly, and cannot be aligned to factory specifications. The car has been taken to 4 service stations, 3 Subaru dealer service repair shops, without being able to be aligned.after further investigation, I’ve found this to be a common problem for this vehicle type. I consider this Safety related due to the unusual tire wear & r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2020
I was driving and everything felt and looked normal. Out of the blue a pop noise, car was smoking. Had to have it towed. Mechanic said the transfer case blew like a grenade. It nicked my transmission as well. I was broke down in an intersection. No warning signs.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2020
U connect screen delaminating, and screen has gone blank.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X1. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, swerved, and came to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The traction control, ABS, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the messages "Warning" and "Computer Error Fault" were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle faile... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The brakes automatically engage without cause. The problem occurs at both city and highway speeds, from 20-75 mph. It is particularly bad when passing underneath a bridge. The car will abruptly stop. This has been ongoing for monthes. Sometimes, the vehicle will act inappropriately when the brake is applied by the driver. The car will attempt to accelerate. Other times the car will hard brake as ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The 12-volt battery has gone totally dead twice. Replaced the battery 2 times. Both batteries were fairly new. I believe there is some sort of drain on the battery that the test doesn't show. at a Toyota dealership, they said I didn't drive the car enough. When the battery failed the last time, I had driven the car over 1000 miles in the previous days before letting the car sit for 2 days. N... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
2 Issues: Transmission shifts hard between 35-50mph and 50-60mph. Dealership accused me of utilizing improper gas which is not factual; this car has only received the recommended premium octane gas since I purchased it as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. Recall: vehicle is currently under crank shaft recall. In the original notification, Acura stated parts would be available in April. Per the Acura ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
2 Issues: Transmission shifts hard between 35-50mph and 50-60mph. Dealership accused me of utilizing improper gas which is not factual; this car has only received the recommended premium octane gas since I purchased it as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. Recall: vehicle is currently under crank shaft recall. In the original notification, Acura stated parts would be available in April. Per the Acura ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2018
My rear Window completely shattered, the car was on and in a complete stop. No trauma no force, it randomly just broke. It is now in the shop, estimating to be in the shop for about a month because of back order parts.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2018
Sticky steering when driving at Hwy/Freeway speeds causing a jerking movement when correcting - feels like steering wheel does not move smoothly and could potentially get “stuck”.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil filter was cracked, causing oil to leak inside the engine compartment. The dealer wiped off the oil, and the oil filter was replaced. The vehicle was repair... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brake, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a burning odor on t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The transmission began slipping causing poor control at higher speeds using the cruise control or passing gear. Only about 42,000 miles on the vehicle and no financial help from Ford. Service for a new transmission was $7667.11at Dave Sinclair Ford, 7466 South Lindbergh, St. Louis Missouri, 63125. 314-892-2600
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Tie rods have no remedy, I have my car parked because its unsafe to drive and have called dealer hundreds of time and all they say is they're working on it. How long do I have to wait on a car I am making payments, this is awful
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
Purchased this car new from Crain Hyundai, Conway AR, on 4/1/2024. On 4/3 we called dealer because Bluelink reported 13 maintenance critical issues needed immediate service. Took the vehicle to dealer on 4/4. They worked on vehicle, said they fixed issue and notices would disappear over night. Issues did not, so 4/5 dealer had vehicle picked up, loaner left, and they would fix in 2 days. Issues st... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
Check engine light came on, I plugged my code reader in and was given P0498 ERROR CODE. Upon doing research and calling around to 3 different Chevrolet service centers I was told that it is a know issue with the fuel pump control module on all gm trucks. I am part of a truck group of over 150 and 85 of us has had this issue and all are currently waiting for the part to come in which is back ordere... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2024
The yoke steering wheel had multiple issues ranging from cosmetic to skipping sometimes while turning. To the best of my knowledge, based on talking to Tesla Service professionals, Tesla is aware of this problem and has internally created a document to change these yokes, but it is not doing as regularly as it should. The service staff refuses to clarify the conditions of warranty repair for this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
On the day before Easter, while driving down W. Colonial Dr., a car suddenly pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on the brakes. immediately after, it seemed like the brake booster blew out, as my brakes started making a hissing sound and felt like they were losing pressure. Additionally, I noticed a clunking noise coming from my car. Three or four days later, while driving, my brakes fai... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
For as long as I've had my car - 2017 till now - it's had what I term a "hiccup" after receiving gas. The engine would slightly shudder for the first 5-10 minutes after I filled the car with gas. This was not from overfilling the tank as I never max out the tank. I didn't think much about this until a few months ago. A few minutes after filling my car with gas, the engine shuddered severely and th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
For as long as I've had my car - 2017 till now - it's had what I term a "hiccup" after receiving gas. The engine would slightly shudder for the first 5-10 minutes after I filled the car with gas. This was not from overfilling the tank as I never max out the tank. I didn't think much about this until a few months ago. A few minutes after filling my car with gas, the engine shuddered severely and th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
Steering went out while driving. Mechanic said it’s the rack and pinion. He said it’s common and was recalled in other year Explorers but not 2014. He said it could be the same part that was recalled but it was used in the 2014 instead of other years that were recalled.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
This was happened [XXX] in Mesa CO in winter storms negative temperatures and foot of heavy snow far away from anything car simultaneously looks with running engines when I went out of the car with my winter gear and telephone inside. For 4-5 hours didn’t find any body . I thinking I’m going to die. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Apr 6, 2024
Ticking sound from engine. Inspection found failure in cylinder #6, removed spark plug and inspected head. Found metal circulating and damage to cylinder. Engine replacement recommended
Incident date: Apr 6, 2024
My husband was driving the car on I95 yesterday, no lights on on the dashboard. Suddenly, the engine stalled and he had to pull out before it completely stopped. He could not get the car to start again. The only light on at that moment was a light indicating the key was not inside the car. He went home with a friend to get the other key, but it didn't started as well. The car spent the night at a ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
TIPM intermittent, fuel pump cuts off
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Check engine light came on and then complete engine failure. Cracked #1 piston, and engine destroyed.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2024
Component: EyeSight Camera motherboard failure due to cold weather (Code B28B3). Possibly an improper conformal coating that is susceptible to cracking or building moisture which then freezes and cracks components of the camera system. Safety Concern: It appears this is common in Subaru EyeSight systems for all models years 2017-2019. A local mechanic shop (Fairbanks, AK) has seen these systems ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2024
While driving on a freeway, the drain plug fell out, dumping all of the oil onto the road. The vehicle had been serviced by just one facility and I had only had this brand new vehicle for 7 months when this occurred. This incident put the driver, any passengers, and anyone on the road nearby at risk. The drain plug loss was verified by a Hyundai certified service facility and then I was asked t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2024
On [XXX] my windshield wiper motor died during a rainstorm. The car gave no warning lights and I get my vehicle serviced regularly. I have had ongoing electrical issues with this car such as a faulty radio and inability to run the GPS settings. I took the car back to Princeton Acura ( In New Jersey) and was told the Windshield Wiper Motor has to be replaced at it would cost me $ 600.00. The car wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
Rear window is leaking into truck came home from vacation and it rained while vehicle parked outside found both my key fob could not be detected and UCONNECT would not respond to commands thru phone. Vehicle totally inoperable could not start. Had towed to Shivley Motors where it currently sits. Found out that water leak could ruin the rf module and electrical componets behind rear seat to include... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a shredded timing belt, the screen on the oil pump was clogged, and no oil pressure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact discover... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
Back in 2018 my car was cutting out while driving on the road I had to pull out then engine light came on I was told it was rodent that ate the wires but I fact it was not because fast forward to and incident that happened Sunday last week my car won’t go inter gear and was shaking really bad and I found out it’s fruse block was bad. This power the transmission and can cause serious damage to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the ABS inadvertently engaged, and the vehicle pulled to the left side. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic brake control module assembly needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Front brakes (pads and rotors) had to replaced 2 times. The dealer said that Subaru used undersized pads and rotors on the bigger Ascent model. The brakes were not designed for such a big vehicle, and it has been a known issue. The brakes were replaced under warranty, but my warranty will expire soon. I'm stuck replacing and poorly designed braking system, that is a known issue.
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
I slowed down to approximately 5 MPH to pull into a parking space in front of a building. Without warning, the car suddenly accelerated toward the building. The car jumped over the parking block and onto the sidewalk in front of the building. I attempted to stop the car but the brakes did not function at that point. The car stopped when it hit a pole. There was damage to the front of the car and... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
Toyota is having issues filling up the tank as the specs says (Owners manual book). According to the Owners manual book, the Gas tank of these vehicles are 17.2 Gallons and 2.6 of those are saved for the reserved. In theory, we should have 14.6 Gallons to fill-up as soon as we see the "Empty sign" on the vehicles. Now, the thing is that even after this happens, we can only fill-out up to 11.5 ga... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
What component failed or malfunctioned? Vehicle's engine is burning oil. There are no leaks and no oil left behind after it has been parked for extended periods, yet the engine is bone dry when oil levels are manually checked with the dip stick. The vehicle's engine has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and settlements for connecting rod bearing failures, so it is likely that my vehicle is in ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that there was water leaking through the rear sliding window. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that a fee would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
My brakes failed as I was pulling up to a curb as I attempted to break to put my car into park my breaks failed to engage. My vehicle is also equipped with emergency braking system that did not engage my vehicle crashed into and through a 7/11 while I was breaking the entire time manuall! The vehicle would not stop and did not stop until it hit the back wall of the store inside.
Crash
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
THE STEERING KEEPS GOING IN AND OUT AT LOW SPEEDS. THEN TODAY IT COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. IWAS AT GAS STATION AND WENT TO DRIVE HOME AND HAD NO STEERING. I KNOW THAT 2019 HAS A RECALL ON STEERING. BUT MINE IS NOT ON LIST. BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMAT... Read more