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 16, 2024
I have water leaking out of both front grip airbags. My warranty started in 2019 as I bought the vehicle new from the dealer. They said this is not covered under the warranty. It is a safety issue and I believe it should be covered.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
Unknown. About two weeks ago my car started periodically not starting. There were no indications of an issue. The car would operate as normal now the car check engine light is on. I have taken it to the dealership knowing about the recall they stated the issue is likely caused by the recall and they will not have the part to fix it until Q3 or Q4 of this year. I have already been stuck away from h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
I took my 2016 LR4 (55k miles) in to the dealer in San Antonio a few days ago. As part of the review of my vehicle, they suggested that I should replace the cylinder block coolant outlet pipe, even though there is no current issue with or damage to it, for a cost of $2,042.13. They said that this part is "known for catastrophic failure around this mileage." That statement (about being known for ca... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a hard start and shuddered. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where washer fluid was poured into the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the oil was 2 quarts low, and the mileage was b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclos... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Sunroof is cracked, concerned about it flying out and hitting another car.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
Very hard shifts from 1st to 3rd gear it's a automatic transmission it's getting worse it will do it at random times and it's getting to the point I'm scared to drive the car. mazda should listen to everyone else's problems with the same transmission it's ridiculous
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
I bought this 2023 GX460 new in October 2023 from Lexus of Towson in Towson, MD. It currently has approximately 3100 miles on it. Since owning it I have noticed that when coming to a stop and sitting still with the vehicle in gear and the brake pedal engaged normally that the vehicle will start to move on it's own causing more pressure needing to be applied to keep the vehicle still. This initia... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
I was driving with my wife and 2 children on the highway in our 2018 Honda CRV and the sunroof randomly shattered, raining glass on us in the car. Luckily nobody was injured, but we could have been cut or crashed. Dealer and Honda deny any issue. It was inspected by insurance reps and body repair shop. I opened claim for this through all state claim# [XXX]. There were no symptoms of the problem pr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over protection camera displayed a solid gray screen and failed to display an image. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Additionally, the vehicle would not immediately start while pressing the ignition switch. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The dashboard is melting - it is sticky and shiny. The glare it causes on the windshield is horrific. I have a very difficult time seeing when the sun is out. An independent service center has inspected and confirmed it is caused by the melting dashboard. I first noticed it a few months ago. I travel to Nashville often, which is a 3.5 hour drive, and the sight obstruction at interstate drivin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue 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 man... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
hard misfire and rough idle creating issues while in traffic, almost rear ended multiple times because of loss of acceleration. inspection by mechanic says misfire in cylinder 2 couldn't be fixed. (multiple coils and spark plug replacements) mechanice made contact with a GM certified mechanic who indicated this is a common problem in the 3.6 engine used in these vehicles. Issue is deep within e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, and there was white smoke emanating from the exhaust pipe, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was il... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered and vibrated after starting. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Engine Fault, Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who discovered that the engine coolant level was extremely low. The cause of the failure was not ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2024
Instrument cluster completely off and unable to turn back on. Unable to see speed, power, braking features, or any other indicators
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
I was driving when my car started knocking. I pulled over on the highway and noticed oil all over the undercarriage of the vehicle. I immediately drove to the dealership and had the mechanics take a look. They came back and said, "The rear main seal was leaking due to a plugged PCV port that froze because of the cold weather. This caused high crankcase pressure to build, which blew out the rear ma... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
Back up camera recall was unresolved by previous owner. I’ve tried fixing the issue myself but cannot find it. The camera displays blue and black screens while in reverse.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
The car stops while driving and all the lights on the dash lights up. Happened a couple of times in the last 2 days, both the times the speed was around 20-30 mph. I am really worried about the issue and called the closest Hyundai dealer at San Bruno, CA who gave an appointment in May to check it.
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
I own a 2018 Hyundai Sonata 2.0 turbo I paid cash for it in [XXX] with 2011 miles on it for 24,000 cash didn’t start having problems until 2022 then the I kept hearing a knocking on the left front wheel. I had it look at several places because the Hyundai of Louisville dealership kept telling me my title was branded I didn’t know what that meant till I took my title to the tag office and had t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
I want to file a safety complaint against Ford car company for their vehicle in which I purchased which is a 2008 Ford Fusion SEL for excessive and dangerous rot and rust problem on the frame and suspension and under component which can lead to accidents if one of these components fall apart . I purchased a 2008 Ford fusion SEL in Connecticut which used to be a Massachusetts state government vehic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2024
I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta that I had financed through a 3rd party just right at a year . The ride was rough to begin with and I began experiencing problems such as a loud shrieking/grinding noise under the hood , which triggered the check engine light . Also pressing the gas and the car not accelerating properly which causes jerking , stalling , and etc. I had a mechanic look at it and did minor r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
The brake lights keep going off, they have been replaced several times. The passenger airbag deployed on a stop sign and cracked the entire windshield. The steering wheel feels like it’s going to come off. Please help
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving under a bridge at a slow speed, the vehicle independently downshifted while depressing the accelerator pedal. Despite the failure, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2022
This FCW Failure appears to be a common issue for the Honda Accord. The Honda declaration is claiming that it is the ABS Module that is causing this issue. Several posts are on the internet concerning this safety issue in these vehicles.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2022
Transmission shutter at 40 and rough shifting and delay in shifting. Transmission sometimes shaking at highway speeds
Incident date: Nov 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel became very firm. The contact stated that the "Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed, and the Traction Control Warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
there hasn't been an incident per say and these might not be a safety concern. however i would like to list my grievances here just so there's documentation. my radio has some type of glitch where the phone calls get static like its digital, also the mirrors don't fold in all the time when locked with the key fob, the brakes have squeaked since day 1 and the grab handle in the tailgate just slides... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
I had a 64,000 mile tune up on my vehicle upon picking up the car the tech mentioned I may want to replace start/stop switch as it “felt funny upon reprogramming the vehicle” I was given a written estimate and sent on my way in the vehicle. Driving on the highway 66mph heard a ding looked at dash to see a “start/stop switch fail” warning and the car went completely dead I had no blinker no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
See attached document for complaint
SUBARU
OUTBACK
(2024) - VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:REAR WINDOW:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
Mar 14, 2024
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: May 11, 2023
Vehicle displays a Check Engine Fault error and then runs poorly.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
After having two recalls done on 2/29 the next day my vehicle dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. There was a message about low gear, the shifter was blinking, I lost collision assist, traction control, and something called bill start. I was able to pull over and shut it off. When I restarted a minute later it accelerated on its own with no input from me. Braking worked but it was slowly movin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Shortly after I merge onto a highway and pickup speed my cruze apears to be slipping gears. It does not do it every time but it appears to be happening increasingly often. It starts to shake violently, becomes hard to stear and refuses to excelerate even though the rpm's are rising significantly higher then they should be, leaving me going 35 - 40mph on a 65mph highway, it does not fully decelerat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Shortly after I merge onto a highway and pickup speed my cruze apears to be slipping gears. It does not do it every time but it appears to be happening increasingly often. It starts to shake violently, becomes hard to stear and refuses to excelerate even though the rpm's are rising significantly higher then they should be, leaving me going 35 - 40mph on a 65mph highway, it does not fully decelerat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Shortly after I merge onto a highway and pickup speed my cruze apears to be slipping gears. It does not do it every time but it appears to be happening increasingly often. It starts to shake violently, becomes hard to stear and refuses to excelerate even though the rpm's are rising significantly higher then they should be, leaving me going 35 - 40mph on a 65mph highway, it does not fully decelerat... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
OK, the first problem would be that there was a fuse, apparently, that was engineered too small and eventually would burn up, making a bad connection, which would. all of a sudden shut your engine off. Mel, I was at highway speed, doing 6570 miles an hour, and all of a sudden my engine just cut right out. no power steering, no nothing. just shut right off wouldn't exactly call that a safe situatio... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
There is a loud popping sound when I start my car. It sounds as if the car is back firing. The sound has been duplicated several times. The sound does not happen every time, but it has happened well over 100 times. I have taken it into the dealership, and they claim that the sound can never be duplicated. Also, when I place my car in reverse and then drive the backup camera screen remains on in af... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
Ten mile trip with 60% battery charge (about 30 mile range indicated, full tank of gas). Check engine light appeared. "Propulsion Power Reduced" appeared and cleared after restart at traffic light. Total loss of power at highway speed, "Shift to Park" appeared. "Power Off" appeared on energy display, coasted to shoulder and was unable to restart vehicle after multiple attempts.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
- The steering gearbox seems to have a manufacturing defect in the gearing. This is causing the steering to get slightly stuck at the center. - I do mostly highway driving, The steering getting slightly stuck at highway speeds is endangering my safety and the safety of people around my vehicle. - The problem was confirmed by Ourisman Honda in Frederick, MD (I will attach the diagnosis paperwork f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
1.The transmission in my vehicle suffered not one, but two failures or malfunctions. Regrettably, as of March 13, 2024, I am no longer in possession of the vehicle. However, I do possess video footage, photographs, and a diagnostic report from the Toyota dealership, along with statements that I personally addressed to Toyota USA regarding the matter. 2.The transmission failure jeopardized both my... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts di... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
Replaced AWD Module at 49,134 miles - four months after purchasing from a Ford Dealer. It is obviously a faulty module with all the complaints online. Individuals shouldn't have to spend a fortune when Ford knows there is/was a problem with the part, and failed to recall it and perform its due diligence. Ford makes the money and individuals keep going into debt. They need to be held accountable. M... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
Replaced AWD Module at 49,134 miles - four months after purchasing from a Ford Dealer. It is obviously a faulty module with all the complaints online. Individuals shouldn't have to spend a fortune when Ford knows there is/was a problem with the part, and failed to recall it and perform its due diligence. Ford makes the money and individuals keep going into debt. They need to be held accountable. M... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
I have had 4 instances of driving on the highway that my vehicle applied the brakes automatically. My safety was put at risk because in those instances I was driving at highway speeds and the brakes were applied on their own with no obstruction in front of me. Someone could have rear ended me. I am not able to reproduce the problem on command, but it has occurred multiple times. The car has ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2024
Head light problem lights not working took to dealership brought a new headlight assembly that didn’t fix the problem waited 7 hours they still couldn’t fix the problem took vehicle home I replaced a fuse,relay, and bulb that fix the problem . Six months later the same problem headlight please look in to this , need to be recalled.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
The Ford Eco-Sport has a known defect. The Engine Oil pressure belt tensioner arm is faulty and breaks, causing the belt to loose tension and it eventually causes catastrophic engine failure.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
It appears that the dealer has disabled my passenger side air bag system. The car is available for inspection. The safety of any front passenger is at risk as the system has been disabled by the dealer after a 'vehicle check' that occurred during routine maintenance. The problem (airbag system disabled) has been confirmed by the same BMW dealer that performed the service. The vehicle has not had a... Read more