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: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the driver-side air bag deployed without any impact. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to his arm, neck, and back that required medical attention. The contact drove himself to the hospital. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagn... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2008 Infiniti G35. The contact stated there was a blinking alert for passenger air bag on the instrument panel and the centerpiece console. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was confirmed the air bag sensor failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost and the VIN was not associated with the initial 2008 Infiniti recall. The contact stated the vehicle was p... 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 contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that 11/2 to 2 1/2 quarts of oil was burning every three weeks. The vehicle was using an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact noticed there was a limited amount of oil on the dipstick. The contact had to add additional oil. There was no indication of oil leaking. The vehicle was taken to the local deal... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
This safety incident occurred with both the driver and passenger front doors. There are two hinges matching the body paint, which are fine. A third black hinge spot welded to the door that holds the door open in partial-open positions had the issue. The spot welding has completely come undone on the driver door and is showing stress on the passenger door. A loud, cracking noise and difficulty op... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
UNKNOWN, reared ended an 18 wheeler and the findings do not show that forward collision or steering operated to prevent the accident.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
Brake Booster, pump failure
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
Initial report on March 7, 2022 (approx. 94K miles), second report on Dec. 12, 2023 (approx. 111,700 miles). Third report March 27, 2024: Recent event occurred on March 23, 2024 (approx. 112K miles) when my vehicle suddenly stopped moving while driving 55mph on a freeway with child passenger in the vehicle, putting both of us at risk for collision. Vehicle did not have any warning lights turn on p... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
My torque convertor has started to fail, extreme vibration when in drive or reverse at a stop, hesitation when trying to take off from a stop, RPMS will redline and the car won't move and then it will slam in to second gear. I have found a recall/customer satisfaction program (20N07) I took the car to a Ford dealership and they confirmed the torque convertor is ruined. I am terrified to drive this... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The exhaust manifolds have warped, breaking a nut and stud and causing an exhaust leak. I am finding this is an extremely common failure indicative of a design flaw. Ford will not cover this under any extended coverage, nor offer financial assistance to repair this failure.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
SRS light is on they said it was the air bag or riverside buckle
Incident date: Mar 1, 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: Oct 1, 2023
I purchased Goodyear Assurance MaxLife 195/65 R 15 from Sam's Club in Kingston on August 2023. On [XXX] my tire blew out on the inner sidewall of my tire. When I spoke with an employee from the automotive department in Sam's Club about my tire, the person said " Let me guess, was it an Assurance MaxLife?" I said "yes, how did you know?" The employee said " this is like the 19th one with the same p... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2024
The engine overheated and the vehicle became with three children inside on a major New Jersey highway. This vehicle was advertised for families with kids, and appears to have a safety defect. The first sign something was wrong was when the check engine light came on; shortly after the vehicle became inoperable on the highway. We took the vehicle to several different mechanic shops, including the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
this car has been worked on twice with negative results, now the dealer has told me Jeep does not want to try to repair it until further investigation.it does not comeply with FMVSS No.108 recall repair 12B Wich was performed twice with negative results.I think they are avoiding the lemon law by not trying to repair it a third time.No loaner or compensation offered.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The power steering completely stopped working. I originally noticed it was acting differently a few days prior. At that point, it was still working but, steering was ackward. The best way I can think of to describe it, is the steering wheel moved in the positions of seconds on a clock. Similar to a stepper motor. Luckily I was not driving when the complete failure happened. There would be no way t... 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: Oct 11, 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: Oct 11, 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 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: Mar 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V844000 (Electrical System) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
We have a 2021 Grand Design 353G Momentum fifth wheel RV. We have experienced frame failure with the upper deck of the RV. It has been inspected and repaired by the manufacturer recently, but I wanted to let you know about this issue that seems to be prevalent in the RV industry. It seems that the manufacturer has under engineered the chassis that Lipper has produced for them. I feel that this... 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: Nov 11, 2023
In early 2023 I was driving on the highway and the engine shut down with a low coolant message on the dashboard. After a couple different trips to different mechanics, the local Ford dealer determined there was coolant intrusion in the engine block due to a cracked block. On approx 4/10/23 we ordered the vehicle to be fixed at a cost of $7329.04. Ford customer service was unwilling to help with... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The engine almost caught on fire. Windows are all down .
Crash
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The engine almost caught on fire. Windows are all down .
Crash
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
The instrument panel in front of the driver is black. I’m unable to see the speed limit, warnings, safety or collision warnings, etc. The vehicle is not making any noise or beeping to allude to the fact that there might be an issue but the Kia app is stating that there is an issue. I have used the vehicle yesterday 3/23/24 with no issues and when I went to drive this morning (3/24/24) it’s not... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The instrument panel in front of the driver is black. I’m unable to see the speed limit, warnings, safety or collision warnings, etc. The vehicle is not making any noise or beeping to allude to the fact that there might be an issue but the Kia app is stating that there is an issue. I have used the vehicle yesterday 3/23/24 with no issues and when I went to drive this morning (3/24/24) it’s not... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The turbo sounds like it's not going in/out of gear, oil going into spark plugs, radiator fluid leaking system getting real hot. Low engine poer picking up speed an issue. Air bag rear brake light malfunction, oil pressure not correct
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
My 2023 Bronco with 6k miles died without any warning back in late January 2024. Ford service dept said it was a failed catalytic converter. After it was in the shop for a 1.5 months, waiting on the back ordered part, we picked up our truck around March 10. Fast forward to today, truck has 7k miles. We were southbound on the interstate in bumper to bumper traffic heading to Disney World when th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
Windshield wipers fail to work properly when in auto mode. Windshield was covered in rain and visibility was reduced to zero. Windshield wipers would not activate to clear the rain. The problem has happened multiple times while raining.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
I took my truck into the dealership Ford of Upland for recalls on [XXX] (136923 miles) outstanding field service actions [XXX], [XXX] , [XXX] , 21M05, [XXX] . I called to make an appointment and confirm if parts are needed for these recalls that they had them and nothing was on backorder. Cabral Lillian let me know they had everything the truck would be done in 1.5 days at most. About 2hours befo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
I was backing up from a stand still on a parking lot when the car braked extremely hard. There briefly was a message on the center dash with the word emergency on it. The message went away immediately and the car continued to work normal. My neck is still hurting hours later from the very hard brake. During the whole incident there was no other car moving and no person or other object anywhere in ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Focus, which was purchased in California in 2017, clutch has gone which caused to stall and jerk in traffic, now has to be replaced at my expense! $4300. This was a massive hazard and defect!
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
At about 14,000 miles, started experiencing issues with steering wheel. It is harder to keep a straight line. On gradual turns, steering “sticks” and doesn’t return to natural position, therefore, overcorrection is needed causing vehicle to jerk. If steering goes back to “normal”, due to initial overcorrection, staying in lane is hard potentially causing a wreck or turning vehicle upside... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
The backup camera stopped working on March 19. Because the car is less than a year old, we thought it was a minor glitch and would go away on its own. On March 20, the backup camera was still not working. On March 21, with the backup camera still not working, we contacted the dealership to schedule an appointment to diagnose and fix it but the next available appointment isn't until June (three mon... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
Driver side mirror. The mirror looks very distorted and shakes significantly when driving. The view from my driver side mirror looks worse at night, which is when I do most of my driving. Headlights from other cars affect the view from my driver side mirror and give off a terrible reflection. I have taken my vehicle to Honda dealer and they stated they did not notice any distorted images or shaki... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
I recently took my car for an oil change and was informed by the technician that a diagnostic was needed due to hearing coolant pooling into the engine. After the diagnostic was performed I was provided with a list of codes that stated it was a recall issue with coolant pooling into the engine. I then took it to a Ford dealership and they stated it was not a recall issue. I submitted a copy of the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
All the warning lights on my dashboard lit up one day with no warning. I took it to the dealer and they determined that the fuel injectors were bad.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at 45–50 MPH, the complete electrical system shut down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the electrical system had shut down. The vehicle failed to turn over and restart. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not dia... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The thermo control valve on vehicle failed on 2020 Subaru Forester which is causing vehicle to loose acceleration, multiple errors codes displaying on the vehicle instrument dash panel and no heat in the vehicle (see attached photo for reference). The failure of this device could cause a vehicle fire depending on what position/ and or state the thermo valve failed in. There needs to be a manufact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
Power steering assist light appears and you lose power steering which is hard to turn the wheel at all. I’ve had it looked in to and they say it’s a steering problem for years in them models
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
My vehicle was stolen due to a jammer that copied my car keys information. I have it on video. It was addressed to acura and honda about the vulnerability for past 3 years and they ignored it. I now am a victim of a stolen vehicle because of this vulnerability that was not acknowledged
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) was previously completed on the vehicle. The contact stated he noticed that the tires were shredding after the recall repair. The contact stated that the tires were replaced four times due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was inform... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
Car is available for inspection. Lane Departure Warning failed Front Collision Warning failed Brake light on ABS light on Power steering light on Traction control light on Passenger Airbag light on Safety put at risk due to no traction control, no abs, and power steering system failure System was confirmed by independent service center Failure was confirmed by service center 8/18/2023 No ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
For fuse function, location and value, the owners manual has incorrect information which is worse than no information at all. This creates a safety and fire hazard in cases where higher amperage fuses can be placed in lower amperage circuits. The fuse panel cover is also deficient with no information about fuse function, location or value. The implication is that in time of need, an operator i... Read more