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: Dec 1, 2025
My 2017 Subaru Forrester has experienced a second failure of the front passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat, error code B1760. This system controls whether the passenger airbag is active — when the warning light is on, the airbag will not deploy, creating a serious safety risk for passengers. This is the second occurrence of this failure. The first repair was completed approxima... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My car caught on fire while I was driving in 3/30/26. The far started somewhere in/near the front driver’s side, initial observed flames were coming from just above the front driver’s side tire. There were no warning lights on at the time the fire started. The car was a total loss by the time firefighters arrived.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
Vehicle Production Date: January 2014 Related Recall: Subaru WTM-73 / NHTSA ID 16V738 (revised July 11, 2017 as WTM-73R) Recall Coverage Production End Date: September 13, 2013 Mileage at First Incident (March 2024): 79,268 Mileage at Second Incident (February 2026): 92,325 The secondary air pump failed in March 2024 (79,268 miles) and again in February 2026 (92,325 miles) just 13,057 miles late... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
While driving home from the grocery store I heard a shattering sound. I was about 2 miles from home. When i got home I opened the rear hatch to see the rear quarter glass window shattered. I was driving 35 mph with no cars around me. I was shocked to see the window like that. I have read that subaru has had problems in past crosstreks with this same issue. Since it was yesterday and also Saturday ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
We have replaced the battery twice and likely will need a third battery soon. I have learned that there is a known issue with the DCM trying to connect using 3G. This is causing a parasitic drain on the battery. The vehicle will fail to start. This has occurred many times over the last few years. We have just learned of the problem.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Significant issues with adaptive headlights having a large shadow in middle of beam as well as two smaller dark shadows at end of beam that are very distracting. It also dims very low at times severely reducing my visibility especially at different grades of the road. The headlights were so bad from the first week I tried to get the sales manager at Ciocca Subaru in Allentown to take this car back... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My eyesight camera keeps failing, it just started like a week ago I had it scanned and it is saying there is an error with the eyesight camera, I have not had an issue with it until now.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My eyesight camera keeps failing, it just started like a week ago I had it scanned and it is saying there is an error with the eyesight camera, I have not had an issue with it until now.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My eyesight camera keeps failing, it just started like a week ago I had it scanned and it is saying there is an error with the eyesight camera, I have not had an issue with it until now.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Phone calls constantly get dropped using hands free CarPlay, requiring me to switch to using my phone manually on the call. Big safety issue. I see online in numerous forums that this is an issue with Subaru use of CarPlay. It is not the phone, and I have tried every fix suggested.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Phone calls constantly get dropped using hands free CarPlay, requiring me to switch to using my phone manually on the call. Big safety issue. I see online in numerous forums that this is an issue with Subaru use of CarPlay. It is not the phone, and I have tried every fix suggested.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Water intrusion occurred inside the vehicle, resulting in extensive mold contamination throughout the interior, including the seats, front and rear carpets, and a child’s car seat. The source of the water intrusion has not been identified. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Subaru retailer, which confirmed in writing that water was present inside the vehicle and that mold was covering inter... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Water intrusion occurred inside the vehicle, resulting in extensive mold contamination throughout the interior, including the seats, front and rear carpets, and a child’s car seat. The source of the water intrusion has not been identified. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Subaru retailer, which confirmed in writing that water was present inside the vehicle and that mold was covering inter... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Water intrusion occurred inside the vehicle, resulting in extensive mold contamination throughout the interior, including the seats, front and rear carpets, and a child’s car seat. The source of the water intrusion has not been identified. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Subaru retailer, which confirmed in writing that water was present inside the vehicle and that mold was covering inter... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
While driving the car, the engine stops completely. After a few seconds, it can be restarted. It does this several times a week at random intervals. It's very dangerous since it usually happens when we're driving in traffic. The dealer checked it out in July but couldn't find anything wrong. Even though it's a serious safety problem, they said to keep driving it until it does it every time th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tacoma. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V656000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the is... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
2022 Rivian R1T, VIN [XXX] . On March 14, 2026, my service appointment at El Segundo Rivian service center [XXX] ) was deleted from the Rivian app along with all service requests and a timestamped customer message thread documenting my visit that day. Deleted items included active recall remedies FSAM-1795 (seat belt retractor bolts improperly torqued, NHTSA notification mailed ~March 9, 2026) an... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the high beam headlights failed to illuminate as intended, and the vehicle shuddered before losing automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the warning lights failed to illuminate as designed when the engine oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to a lo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard and was jerking while shifting gear. Additionally, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 50 MPH. The messages “Reduced Acceleration” and “DEF Low” were displayed. While refueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge failed to correctly display the level of fuel inside the fuel tank until the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
A little scary, it just got released from my hospital.From having cancer just wanna have my recalls repaired
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Hard Shifting, will enter limp mode in 2nd and 4th gear (usually will down shift to that gear). The check engine light will flash and I have to pull over, stop, shut off my vehicle and then restart it to resolve. I have already spent roughly $4,000 in repairs and still have continued issues. These issues started at approximately 100,000 miles, transmission was rebuilt at 110,000. The current mile... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2025
I reported problems with my truck to Beck and Masten South GMC. I was put off a number of times with ridiculous excuses. My vehicle sat in the shop for a month to get my OnStar safety equipment repaired. I also had arguments with them regarding the oil light coming on and it burning excessive amounts of oil. I was told this was normal. I know better. Also, I needed to get it back into the shop for... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
Clutch began to slip at 20,000 miles. This caused unrepairable damage to the flywheel. This put my safety at risk as clutches wearing out could cause the car to slip out of gear and/or damage the maneuverability of the vehicle. This problem was fixed by the dealer, but they blamed me for the damage and claimed clutch is a wear component. I was charged $3,000 for the clutch and an additional $2,0... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
Steering wheel feels sticky or like it catches when going at higher speeds, particularly on long distances. Dealer has confirmed to replace the power steering rack (which includes the steering gear box/worm gear). The gear box/worm gear was part of a previous recall but only for 2023-2025 CRVs although this issue was being reported beginning in 2021.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
While trying to engage the reverse feature on this Road Glide 3 trike, it will not engage. This has happened many times and it gets worse overtime. As of this past Saturday, it would not engage at all.You turn the bike off and it will sometimes engage, but only for a moment or two it will not allow you to back up. It has not been used very much at all, but it will not work any longer. I use my fee... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The rear impact bar is completely disintegrated and is falling off of the subframe due to extreme rust. There is either no or very little amount of rust on the entirety of the rest of the vehicle. The impact bar is either manufactured with incorrect materials or is otherwise defective. The impact absorber is attached to the impact bar and due to the integrity of the impact bar being destroyed, t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The contact owned a 2007 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, occupied with her daughter, she noticed black smoke was coming from the driver and passenger side vents in the vehicle. No warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned a bystander noticed black smoke and called 911 on the scene. The contact also mentioned that after she and her daughter exited the vehicle, the... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Hyundai has opened an internal case, number 42429100 Their only resolution is to leave the vehicle at a dealership and rent a car at my own expense. They have offered to give me a slight discount on a trade, but all comparable vehicles are under safety recalls as well. They have offered no effective solution and I have no manner to safely transport my family. The vehicle is subject to an activ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
My son’s car drifted to the right past the white line and he ended up hitting a hydrant and continued at least 100 ft before stopping. Our dash cam showed a slow smooth drift to the right without any lane assist being activated to pull the car back. All safety features were activated and turned on the day we bought the car for him. It was the main reason we chose this model. He is very lucky to ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
I am reporting a major safety failure on my 2017 Acura MDX regarding the forward-facing multipurpose camera. Out of nowhere, the camera failed and triggered a cascade of warning lights across my entire dashboard. Because of this hardware defect, all of the critical safety systems—including the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), and Adaptive Cruise Control—a... Read more
SUBARU
XV CROSSTREK
(2014) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Mar 29, 2026
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
1. Check engine light comes on. 2. Intelligent collision system (ICS) plashing while driving
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
My entire dash went out. Nothing worked. This car has only 3500 miles on it. I got danger signs and it said to stop driving the car. Danger. I also got messages in my e-mail I think from Starlink to stop driving the car and bring it in to service. It was dangerous. Service had it for two weeks. They didn't know what to do. They asked if I did something with wires. I'm a [XXX] woman and4'10". What... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
August 1, 2025 I was trying to get to [XXX] from [XXX] to see my mother, before Kansas City, Mo. Before getting to KC while cruise was engaged car RPM’s began amping but car did not speed up. I put it park and turned motor off and tried to drive again, but did the same thing. I called my mechanic in XXX and he suggested I try to come back but I couldn’t go over 30mph driving on the should... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
August 1, 2025 I was trying to get to [XXX] from [XXX] to see my mother, before Kansas City, Mo. Before getting to KC while cruise was engaged car RPM’s began amping but car did not speed up. I put it park and turned motor off and tried to drive again, but did the same thing. I called my mechanic in XXX and he suggested I try to come back but I couldn’t go over 30mph driving on the should... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The grille deflector flew off while driving. The same exact problem the 2022 sierra had as described in N242490120
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
In October, my son was driving our Jeep Wrangler 4xe when the vehicle suddenly lost power steering, acceleration, and braking while multiple warning lights were flashing on the dashboard. The vehicle became very difficult to control and created a serious safety concern. We have a video showing all of the warning lights flashing during this incident (it is not allowing me to upload a video below as... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
Eyesight camera randomly turns off and on while driving. Has been consistent over several months pierced to be an ongoing issue that was previously recorded from 20 14–20 21 super Forrester. Very similar issue now with my 2023.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
I've had an oil leak for a couple of years, typically having to put in 5 - 7 quarts of oil in between oil changes. In 2025 I had my spark plugs and some oil seal replaced it was quite expensive to have done. 6ish months later my 4th cylinder started misfiring. I took it to the repair shop. They performed an oil wash and it seemed to fix the misfire issue at the time. 3 months later it started t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
I've had an oil leak for a couple of years, typically having to put in 5 - 7 quarts of oil in between oil changes. In 2025 I had my spark plugs and some oil seal replaced it was quite expensive to have done. 6ish months later my 4th cylinder started misfiring. I took it to the repair shop. They performed an oil wash and it seemed to fix the misfire issue at the time. 3 months later it started t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the front driver’s side seat belt failed to lock securely. The contact stated that the seat belt loosened unexpectedly and failed to properly protect the driver while operating the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated while starting. Additionally, while stopped in traffic, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the camshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
I am experiencing intermittent loss of motive power. Without warning at highway speeds I get a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. I drive with a code reader in the car and have received a P030... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2024
My 2024 Chevy Trax’s engine (1.2L turbocharged I3 engine) went out while driving on the expressway (about 70mph) in the middle to left lane. I had to come to a complete stop and safely and immediately get my car on the left shoulder without injuring myself or others around me. My own safety was severely at risk as I was as close to the dividing wall on the left side as I possibly could be but ca... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The failure involves the engine (powertrain), which was under warranty. The vehicle has experienced four catastrophic engine failures resulting in sudden loss of power, including at highway speeds (65–75 mph). The most recent failure also involved an oil-saturated catalytic converter. These failures occurred between 06/25/2024 and 03/16/2026. During this ~629-day period, the vehicle was only in ... Read more