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: Mar 7, 2024
Passenger seat missing left side weld. Uploaded two pics, right side is good, left side is missing.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
Loss of acceleration while driving. This has occurred multiple times (always while moving or actively driving). The first time we were driving up a significant hill and the car slowed, lost power and we had to pull over and coast back down the mountain to a repair center. The second time, I was on the freeway and lost acceleration causing me to pull off the road in median. The third time, I was at... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
4/2/2024 at 5:30am my Eyesight system flashed a message in orange that the Eyesight system was off - not temporarily disabled. This is NOT due to an obstruction of the cameras by weather/glare/dirt etc. All functions controlled by Eyesight including lane departure, adaptive cruise control, and forward emergency braking, as well as reverse automatic braking are disabled by this malfunction. I remov... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the driver's side tire rolled over the curb and the vehicle began to vibrate and shake. The contact stopped the vehicle and confirmed that there was nothing underneath the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a tra... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2023
The contact owned a 2004 Ford Escape. The contact's son stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, he lost control of the vehicle and rolled. The contact stated that her son had gone unconscious and did not remember any details. The contact arrived at the scene and saw that the vehicle had rolled into a ditch. The contact stated that the vehicle had been rolled back over onto its four wheels. T... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
On March 18, 2024, my 2024 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid had just over 1,000 miles on it. That same night, approximately 20 yards before an upcoming stop sign, I got a big red triangle message on the dash saying STOP SAFELY NOW. When I finally got stopped at the STOP sign, everything shut down. No accelerator, now power and the transmission dial locked after I put it in Park. I could not get it in Neut... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The contact's parent owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the parent was parking into a parking space, and straightening the steering wheel; the brake pedal depressed but the vehicle continued to drive. Several warning messages were displayed "Vehicle Stability Assist Problem", "Power System Steering Problem", "Hill Start Assist Problem", "Emissions Systems Problem", "Brake Hold ... Read more
Crash
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2014) — SUSPENSION
Apr 1, 2024
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
Driving on Interstate at 60 miles an hour, the vehicle shook back and forth so violently that I nearly lost control. I though something had broken in the suspension, and it was all all I could do to remain in my lane and get to the nearest off ramp. It subsided when I got off the freeway, where I physical inspected the wheels but couldn't find any visible issues with the suspension. It hasn't happ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
I was in a parking mode and was leaving the parking lot. I reversed my car lo leave, and the car went out of control and was not until it crashed on two other parked cars that came to a stop. Then, After reversing my car, when trying to put it into drive, it would not move. When I tried to turn it off, the engine (re) started again and it worked so I could clear the path for other cars and wait ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch pedal briefly depressed to the floor and remained stuck before releasing. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch diaphragm spri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that he was stopped on a residential street waiting for a person to return their vehicle out of a driveway when his vehicle was crashed from behind by another vehicle. The contact stated that the impact of the crash moved his vehicle and he crashed into the rear end of another vehicle that was in front. The contact stated that the air bags di... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Cyber Truck. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed during daylight, the dashboard accent would reflect in the side mirrors. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and taken to a local dealer for repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred him to call NHTSA to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
Failure of ABS module. Unable to replace due to manufacturer hold on part. Not safe to drive and nometa on when parts will be available. This is a known issue with many owners experiencing failures.
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
While driving at night under raining conditions with the auto highbeam enable the Kia’s HUD will get so bright at times that will white out the drivers view making nearly impossible to see. Kia’s is refusing the fix the issue because they can’t replicated even with a video I provided and I even found another persons video on YouTube, as well as several owners on a forum complaining about it... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
The driver’s side airbag of 2018 Subaru Legacy deployed as I was reversing out of a parking lot going approximately 5mph. It has not been fixed due to the company’s negligence. One of Subaru’s accident advocate specialist claimed the engineer found a mysterious brown liquid that caused the airbag to deploy although I had not been in the car for two hours nor was I drinking any substances; es... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
I own a 2023 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD and I'm experiencing a concerning issue with the steering system. The steering wheel feels "sticky" and lacks the smooth operation expected. While driving, this stickiness becomes pronounced, requiring excessive pressure and torque to maneuver the wheel properly. This has led to instances of oversteering, posing a significant risk of accidents or mishaps. Despite r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
Car has bad battery sensors. When checking the battery status, it always says the battery is in good condition but it is actually dead. The car also consistently puts out a code "P219A." Dealership suggest that fuel injectors are going bad but the fuel injectors shouldn't go bad this early.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
My car was in park and went into reverse with my two kiddos in the car in my driveway. I tried to jump in but the car door knocked me over as the car rolled faster as I was holding my sweet one year old and ended up rolling over my ankle and chest. [XXX] fortunately ended up with a scratch but I ended up with a broken leg and 6 broken ribs, a punctured lung and torn acl. I am lucky to be alive ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and regained motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel Syst... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and regained motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel Syst... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
While driving, the rear window opened up by itself and would not close. Controls were dead. Found a wire bundle (not a harness) which runs from the body control module to several sensors, including the 110V power converter, were worn through shorting out. The wiring lies in a channel along the rocker panel on the interior of the vehicle. The wiring is not protected from abrasion which led to ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The recall that was put out in September 2023 still has not been remedied as of March 28, 2024. I believe the remedy has not been fixed in a timely manner considering the direct dangers posed as a result of the HECU default. Six months without remedy, when the danger has existed since before then, is an egregious inaction on the part of Kia to myself, the customer.
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); 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 ex... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
The rear seat not lock in seat position its very dangerous in accident. Another problem ist when the transmmission decelerate she past the 3 at 1 speed dirrectly and a knoging in the transmission. Can you expect that please
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
ABS Anti-Lock Brake System Failure (ABS Control Unit) As seen in NHTSA CAMPAIGN [XXX], for newer year models, The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving. This recall should also include 2008-2010 Hyundai Veracruz's as the ABS Module is the same part number and can l... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the contact swerved to the left to avoid crashing into a deer. The contact stated that when he attempted to return the vehicle to the right lane the vehicle's front end continued to turn to the left as the rear end of the vehicle spun out to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle hit the shoulder of... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, then slowly responded. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle would only respond when depressing the accelerator pedal with added force. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The car went forward when in reverse mode. After going to other modes (drive/neutral/park) and back to reverse, the car kept going forward. Reset the system and the issue persisted. Finally resolved after third restart. The car bumped up against the driveway gate because it wouldn’t reverse despite the dashboard clearly indicating being in reverse. Contacted Tesla, who examined the system remote... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Engine rod knock at 32,000 miles due to bearing failure causing loss of control of vehicle and sudden loss of power and control. Car was logged to be traveling at 35 mph with normal acceleration at time of failure. Carter Subaru confirmed bearing failure, and fits with the pattern confirmed in 2012-2017 WRX STi engine failure class action settlement, as part in 2018 remains unchanged from 2017 a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
This vehicle has severe CVT problems. It shifts back and forth with a clunk on level roads at a steady speed. I have a 2015 Murano with over 80,000 miles that does not display this type of behavior. I am driving a loaner which is a 2023 Subaru with the same engine and transmission as mine and it has none of my safety problems. The additional safety problems are: very poor resolution on backup cam... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
Engine seized up on the interstate with no warnings. Almost got hit by 2 semi's as I tried to get off the next exit. I had 3 small children riding with me and it was terrifying. Got it towed 100 miles to the nearest dealer and they said the engine was consuming oil and the engine seized up. They said they are "well aware" of this problem, but without any recall, the bill is entirely on me. The rec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while his wife was idled in inclement weather, and the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated violently without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a brick building. The air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for two months where the failure was not able ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
My Fisker Ocean One has experienced multiple ADAS issues including lane departure not working, emergency braking failing regularly producing multiple warning lights, regenerative braking shutting off causing the vehicle to speed up or roll away. I have dozens of photos of the errors and videos. I will provide the link to the photo folder. The technician was finally able to update all of the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
No warning indicators but my steering couple has worn and my steering now has play. Many forums says this is a know problem for KIA and they should cover but I do not see a recall.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
TOYOTA frame is falling apart due to the use of faulty metal to manufacture those frames they ran a limited service campaign to replace some of the frames and they denied many other owners that right please help by telling TOYOTA North America to take care of this very hazardous issue thank you
Incident date: Feb 17, 2024
Exhaust manifolds on both sides cracked and need replacing. Started about a year ago from this date. Dealer informed my mechanic they are seeing about 1400 units replaced a month.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
On [XXX], I was driving to the Grocery store and didn't even drive 1/2 mile when I got a message on my dash that my transmission was over heating, while sitting at a traffic light. 28,000 miles on my Focus. I pulled into the parking lot that was there and shut the car off. I called AAA to have my car towed to MasterCare Automotive. Then I had to tow the car to Sunrise Ford 5435 US-1. Ste 1.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was refueled at a local gas station, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle then restarted after several attempts. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred after refueling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer wh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating; after which, the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Passenger side rear bumper detached
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
Both front headlights cast a tabbed rectangular shadow into driver's field-of-view creating two potentially dangerous disruptive shadows/dead spots at certain longer distances and in open flat terrain areas. These tabbed rectangular shadow/dead spots often tricks the driver into falsely responding/over-reacting unnecessarily. The dead spots in the driver's field-of-view can be potentially danger... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
2019 Hyundai Veloster. Since November 2022, my vehicle has encountered multiple problems, necessitating extensive periods in repair shops, and I believe these issues have not been addressed satisfactorily. Below is a timeline of the events for your reference: - **December 2022**: Engine replacement was conducted, resulting in the vehicle being in the shop for 7.5 weeks. - **January & February ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
2019 Hyundai Veloster. Since November 2022, my vehicle has encountered multiple problems, necessitating extensive periods in repair shops, and I believe these issues have not been addressed satisfactorily. Below is a timeline of the events for your reference: - **December 2022**: Engine replacement was conducted, resulting in the vehicle being in the shop for 7.5 weeks. - **January & February ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
On 3/4/24 my break light came on approx 9:15pm . I drove the car about 10 min home and pulled in the driveway at 9:30 PM. My husband assessed brake fluid, to find it needed and brake fluid. He added break fluid and told me to take the car to get it checked in the am. The car was making a continuous humming noise. @ 4:55 AM on 3/5/24 we awoke to the tires exploding & the car fully engulfed in flame... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
On 3/4/24 my break light came on approx 9:15pm . I drove the car about 10 min home and pulled in the driveway at 9:30 PM. My husband assessed brake fluid, to find it needed and brake fluid. He added break fluid and told me to take the car to get it checked in the am. The car was making a continuous humming noise. @ 4:55 AM on 3/5/24 we awoke to the tires exploding & the car fully engulfed in flame... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Suddenly warning light "Check Engine" came on along with Eye Sight malfunction warning. "i RAB off" "Check Engine" Automatic Emergency Braking not working. Yes, available for inspection. Not confirmed yet by dealer. It is the weekend. There were no unusual symptoms prior to ADAS malfunction.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
This car does not have Full Self Driving, and I do not use Auto Steer. I experience multiple phantom braking events every time I use the "Traffic Aware Cruise Control." Sometimes I can see that the cruise control set speed has been reduced from the speed I set, and I have to cancel and reset it to resume the original speed. Sometimes the cruise control set speed is unchanged, and pushing the accel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
This car does not have Full Self Driving, and I do not use Auto Steer. I experience multiple phantom braking events every time I use the "Traffic Aware Cruise Control." Sometimes I can see that the cruise control set speed has been reduced from the speed I set, and I have to cancel and reset it to resume the original speed. Sometimes the cruise control set speed is unchanged, and pushing the accel... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
- I experienced an engine failure while driving. - I was in traffic the auto lost power and I had to immediately pull over. The immediate loss of power caused traffic to break. Fortunately, there was no incident but it could've been dangerous in a more congested area. - I had the vehicle towed to a dealership. - The dealership has looked at it. They submitted a report to the manufacturer over a m... Read more