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: Sep 30, 2021
On a trip to and from New York to Canada between February [XXX], the car came to a sudden stop on the interstate when there were NO VEHICLES OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS IN FRONT OF THE CAR. However there WERE several vehicles behind me on 2 of these occasions and I was extremely concerned that I was going to be hit from behind. It was just like the events described here - [XXX] . Why isn’t NHTSA doing... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The review camera for my vehicle has been unreliable since 2022, if not longer, despite being fully replaced at no cost by the dealer once while still under warrantee. I received a recall notification regarding this issue via mail in September 2023 (recall no. 60232G, NHTSA campaign no. 23V-487), but later learned the recall was initiated two months prior, in mid-July 2023. Since then, my review c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
My vehicle was purchased new from Ford dealer with factory tow option, which comes with an undercarriage cover with integrated air scoop to help cool engine & transmission while towing. This cover (Ford # BB5Z-9910494-A) is designed with quarter tern thumb screws to hold it on to the undercarriage. While driving on highway, this part fell off and was not recovered. Now my vehicle is at risk of ser... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Warning lights for ABS and Brake system flash on and off continuity while driving at any speed or stopped, with a message displaying "Service Electronic Brake System" and a warning chime. This typically occurs once every 2-3 seconds. Truck was taken to Local Ram Dealership in Early October of 2023 for diagnostics. Dealership stated issue was the hydraulic control unit causing the warnings, but p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
Intermittent service electronic brake system message/ABS system service required message on dashboard. Truck has less than 32,000 miles on it.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
It has been about 4 months now, and Stalantis/Jeep still is unable to fix the issue. This means that for 4 months, I'm unable to use the vehicle for its intended purpose.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
Steering shaft u- joint seizure causing loss of vehicle steering. Very dangerous.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
Car stalled then started smoking followed by flames. We exited vehicles and ran a safe distance away and called 911
Fire
Incident date: Feb 23, 2024
My dad bought a Kia Rio 2018 for 8k cash a day ago well two blocks from the dealer white smoke comes out of exhaust then oil pressure light came on, pulled over checked oil which was overfull with milky residue, dealer said to drive it home so we tried them got half block then black smoke came out and it started rattling then died so we left it. Mechanic said it threw a rod and hole in the engine.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
My vehicle incorrectly read highway number signs as though they were speed limit signs. This occurred eight times on state highway [XXX] in Florida; and once on state highway [XXX]. The speed limit was actually 55 mph on highway [XXX]. If I would have had “Predictive Speed Assist” turned on, and was using adaptive cruise control, it would have automatically decelerated to 40, +/- whatever ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
I have been having this issue for over 6 months where the steering wheel get slightly stuck and I have to make an effort to correct the wheel. It is a constant need to correct the steering left and right. It becomes very tedious to drive and I am worried the steering is getting worse.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
After starting the car, a yellow error message stating the steering had failed came up. The car could not safely be driven on the highway because the steering was shaking the car left/right. The steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
The stabilizer/traction control keeps going off and it will stay off.i can turn,hit a bump or start it up and the traction control/stabilizer system is off.i almost had a accident on the freeway in the rain because it turned off out of nowhere and I almost lost control. Also I was going down the road and all of a sudden my vehicle died and I had little control over vehicle. Once it came to stop it... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
The stabilizer/traction control keeps going off and it will stay off.i can turn,hit a bump or start it up and the traction control/stabilizer system is off.i almost had a accident on the freeway in the rain because it turned off out of nowhere and I almost lost control. Also I was going down the road and all of a sudden my vehicle died and I had little control over vehicle. Once it came to stop it... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
The vehicle showed no warning signs prior. The vehicle was being driven and it STOPPED as it If the breaks had been pressed in the middle of driving on a highway. Afterwards a message popped up that said engine power reduced. After that message appeared the car came to a stop and would not start back up.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact stated while completing an oil change, he noticed that after removing the lower shield, the engine casting was wet with engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact stated that the failure was r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The back hatch was misaligned and over time became unusable. Upon inspection from the body shop the hinge the keeps the hatch attached to the vehicle at the top had pulled lose- the power hatch had essentially pulled away from the frame causing the misalignment. The manager at the body shop did some investigation and found that this was an issue that resulted in a recall for the same RAV 4 for the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on, whether parked or driving at various speeds, on several occasions, the brake lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ABS sensor control and Hydraulic Control Unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
from the day I purchased the vehicle on [XXX] of 2023. I immediately heard a rattling noise coming from the rear end of the vehicle. I also noticed that the transmission had been catching or slipping or missing whenever it transfers gears it is getting worse by the day I have taken it to the original dealership at MNF auto sales in Albuquerque and I have also taken it to the Larry Miller Jeep in A... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the front driver's side door, the door made an abnormally loud popping sound. Additionally, the door failed to open completely, and the window failed to roll down completely. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
The thermo control valve (TCV), responsible for regulating cabin temperature and engine temperature failed, causing the vehicle to go into safe mode and was not drivable.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
[XXX], traveling for the holidays, my 2017 Kia Sorento broke down. All dash lights came on, black smoke out exhaust. Only issue I had prior to this breakdown was excess oil use. $150 tow to Bengston Tire & Service in Salina, KS. They diagnosed cylinder misfires, spark-plug disintegration & recommended to take it to a Kia Dealership to be looked at, as they said it likely required an entire engine ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
Transmission was failing without any check engine light on-> right passenger side tire would skid before transmission was replaced -> new transmission replaced still has issues shifting at times. Inspection was done by Nissan 104th in Northglenn.( sends out a threat to public by transmission not shifting gears properly to move or get out of way of other cars going faster speeds) Seat belt restrai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2020
The blind spot warning system stopped working, and yes it is available for inspection upon request. I have heard this leads to further electrical problems and am worried this may compromise my safety if not dealt with. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The component has not been inspected. There was a warning that popped up stating “service side detection system” that appeare... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2020
The blind spot warning system stopped working, and yes it is available for inspection upon request. I have heard this leads to further electrical problems and am worried this may compromise my safety if not dealt with. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The component has not been inspected. There was a warning that popped up stating “service side detection system” that appeare... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle hesitated, and jolted while responding. The message "Service Transmission” was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the transmission was slipping out of gear, and the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. A relativ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred 4 years later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the check engine and oil warning lights started flashing on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and checked under the hood of the vehicle but found no failure. Upon restart of the vehicle, an abnormal clanking sound started coming from the engine. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
On February 16th at about 6 AM, I was in a collision. I was first hit in the front by a pickup truck impacting my frontside, from right to left. I expected my Kia Telluride to engage it's safety features such as, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and at the very least the Airbags, which none of them deployed at anytime during this collision. I was then rear-ended by an 18-whe... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
The Fusion has been worked on twice now replacing cylinders, however it was recently discovered that the issue is with the ABS Hydraulic Control unit. The car's pedal would push almost to the floor making the stopping power hazardous out of nowhere. After research on this unit, it appears it was a recall for many Fusions but not specifically for this mode. I am filing a complaint as it appears ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while turning off the vehicle, the vehicle independently restarted upon exiting the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to automatically lock upon exiting the vehicle as designed. On multiple occasions after locking the vehicle with the key fob, the contact stated that the vehicle was unlocked upon returning to the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
I have now learned the hard way that there is a design defect with this car. It appears that water runs down the front cowl into an area near the fresh air intake. Particularly bad if you have the car running as it goes through a car wash, or if snow accumulates on the windshield and melts. Water is then sucked into the air intake and leaks into the passenger side footwell and gets into the ele... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
While doing a casual drive, engine made a noise after work at night. Woke up in the morning and check engine light as well as the EyeSight light was on. Checked everything and noticed the coolant was low; but upon filling it, did not resolve the issue. Took it to a Subaru service center and was told that it the Temp Valve had been stuck and that they had replace not only one for my year model the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
My 2011 Toyota Camry LE (2.5L, 2WD, 4 cylinder, automatic transmission) has been experiencing problems with oil consumption. I have to add a quart of oil between oil changes (add 1 quart every 2000 miles). I'm using the recommended oil type (OW-20). Also, I'm experiencing loud rattling noises coming from the engine after cold start up. The noise is very loud and usually quiets down after driving... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
My 2011 Toyota Camry LE (2.5L, 2WD, 4 cylinder, automatic transmission) has been experiencing problems with oil consumption. I have to add a quart of oil between oil changes (add 1 quart every 2000 miles). I'm using the recommended oil type (OW-20). Also, I'm experiencing loud rattling noises coming from the engine after cold start up. The noise is very loud and usually quiets down after driving... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
We were driving at around 70 mph on lane #3 on [XXX] near Auburn CA at around [XXX] on [XXX] with 2 passengers and some baggage in the trunk. No baggage were on the roof rack. Traffic was light and no vehicle was directly ahead of us at the time. Weather was cloudy. Suddenly we heard a loud bang above us, like a gun going off. I opened the sunroof cover and found the sunroof glass shattered. Afte... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The steering assist warning message came on and power steering failed twice in less than a week's time on my 2015 Lincoln MKC. It first happened while turning left and later in a parking lot at low speed shortly after I’d started the car. I could have had an accident had someone been behind me. I could not even steer the car into my driveway. Oddly, the problem would go away after turning the ca... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
When traveling in a straight line for more than a few seconds, it becomes noticeably more difficult to make small adjustments in steering. The additional force required increases the risk of steering more than intended, and often requires an immediate correction in the opposite direction. This is more noticeable at high speeds, but is almost always present after 20-30 minutes of driving. This is ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
The trim between the drivers door and the back door is coming off. And the front passenger door does not shut right there is gaps.
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
Exhaust system flex pipe was repaired and the next day the exhaust muffler/ resonator failed at the seam, causing hot gases to escape into the undercarriage and melt the lower bumper cover assembly on the right passenger side. See photos attached.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
I was backing into my garage in reverse gear when there was a sudden power surge and the car accelerated rapidly backwards (without me pushing the gas pedal), which led to a crash that caused substantial damage to the car. The car was out of my control, with it accelerating without reason, so something failed on the car. I do not know what component failed, only that there was a sudden and rapid... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
Two incidents of unprovoked acceleration 1st incident: approximately March 2021 Slowly backing up at a gas station and experienced sudden acceleration causing the car to hit a metal guard at the fuel pump. This resulted in damage to the vehicle requiring repair. 2nd incident: 12/2023 Slowly entering a parking space when there was sudden acceleration causing the vehicle to to go over a concrete c... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
Have experience increased brake pedal effort, hard brake pedal, and/or potentially increased. stopping distance. The condition is more prevalent at low speed when softly applying the brakes. The Driver’s Information Center, (DIC) “Service brake assist” alert will activate. Extreme safety risk to myself and my children. Bulletin N182202780 & NT192268490 needs to be tied to this specific... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the transmission failed to shift above third gear and instead downshifted into first gear. After the failure, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 10 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2023
Stopped at traffic light. Hit from behind, into vehicle in front of said vehicle. Air bags did not deploy. Police report filed; insurance representative, jeep dealership all have inspected. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. Rear ended at traffic light. Front end and back end damaged- jeep was undrivable, wrecker service removed from the accident scene. Driver was ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
After about 25-45 minutes of driving the car every time you accelerates the Transmission starts slipping the car starts to rattle very badly and it makes a crunching sound. It makes the car almost impossible to drive and sounds and feels like it’s about to break down.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
I have received four Recall Notices (dated June 2023, 08/21/2023, 09/19/2023, and 10/17/2023) relative to the Drivers Air Bag Inflator May Explode. I have reached out to the dealer to schedule the free recall repair to no avail. Each time they have informed me that parts are unavailable. It now has been several months since they have not contacted me for repair or resolution. Occasionally, the S... Read more