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: Jan 8, 2024
On June 2, 2023 I went to start my car and the engine would not turn over. The dashboard displayed a number of warning lights and messages (DSTC Service Required, SRS Airbag Service Urgent, Transmission Service Required, Coolant System Service Required). When the tow truck driver arrived later that day, they tried to jumpstart my car but reported the battery was completely dead. I had the car tak... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
while driving on a local road (not highway), engine began to make a very loud sound. sounds like metal on metal inside engine. called local ACURA dealer and they said that the connecting rod recall/problem that was announced in November 2023 "does not apply to my VIN".
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without approximately 15-20 attempts. The vehicle had since failed to start completely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the starter had failed causing the engine to seize. The contact was informed that the engine needed ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
Back up camera not functioning.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
Pearl White Paint is peeling off the car in multiple locations. Several areas are beginning to rust and damage the body The problem is well known online through multiple Kia/Sorrento Owners. We've taken the vehicle to several car painting companies who confirmed the defect. The problem began about 2020.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
While at a stoplight, my buick encore's power steering just stopped working. I was only able to turn the steering wheel with great effort. The car would not go in reverse, although when pressing on the accelerator in reverse, the engine would rev. Shifting from drive to reverse also caused the car to jolt. The car is available for inspection. This has happened previously in fall of 2021, and the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
-The sunroof shattered while driving.No one else on the road in front of vehicle while driving. -This covered the occupants (Driver, front Passenger, and two passangers in the middle row) with glass. -Dealer not aware of any issue, plenty of online forms from the public having same issue. -Reached out to Insurance to file claim and have repaired. -Glass was in perfect condition prior to expl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
Vehicle has emission trouble light with code P219B. Dealer states fuel injectors need to be replaced. Service Bulletin #21-010 Defect 6E600 / Symptom N9400 was issued by Honda for the same problem relating to the same year and model vehicle with the same engine. However, this service bulletin does not apply to my VIN.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to and unknown recall campaign; however, the VIN needed to be included. The coils were replaced; however, when the ve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
Has “Shift to Park” issue and will keep electronics on, killing the battery. Other vehicles were recalled but this is an excluded one. Was rear ended enough to get a salvage title but I was told a salvage title doesn’t affect safety recalls. Bought with less than 2k miles and have 22k miles on the vehicle now so there hasn’t been excessive use. Has done it several times now.
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
Ignition coil and spark plug
Incident date: Jun 20, 2020
Steering wheel becomes jerky from time to time. Lane keep assist driving help is turned off. The steering wheel sometimes wants to correct the angle when driving in a straight line.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
I am writing to bring to your attention a concerning issue regarding the recent update related to recall alerts in my vehicle, which has inadvertently led to an increase in distraction while driving. I received a software update for my vehicle, which included new features aimed at enhancing autopilot alerts. However, instead of improving safety, these updates have unintentionally resulted in an i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
My windshield wipers suddenly stopped working and will not work.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
On12.26.23 I entered my 2017 F150, closed the door, and the rear window shattered, causing glass to enter the back seat- falling on my child who was seated in the rear. I called the local Ford dealership because my truck is under warranty to 100,000 miles. The dealership said they refer people with that problem to a local glass shop. I took it there to be repaired, total cost with tax was $1067.00... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
From my past research I’ve noticed there were recalls about the headlight ballast flashing, and getting replaced my car has this problem but never had a recall. The rear view mirror is fading and turning black making me not able to see. And all of my interior is becoming shiny and brittle making it hard to see out of my vehicle at anytime of day or night
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
The problem began a month or so ago.I had my car diagnosed at the Honda dealership and it has a fuel injector fuel pump issue. All of the vehicle lights are on TPMS engine light brake system light steering light collision mitigation emmission electrical steering hill start assistive cruise control LKAS and brake hold light.My car stalls while driving. It sputters when i start it.When i attempt to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2023
When the vehicle halts at a red light or stop sign, it activates the auto stop/start feature, causing the engine to shut off. However, when I release the brake to accelerate, the car might briefly restart and then stalls. This has happened several times.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
My headlights, when set to ‘auto’ randomly turn off. Very scary and dangerous at night! Also, illegal. I can get them to come back on by turning the lights off and on multiple times from the left stalk. But can’t believe Kia hasn’t addressed this.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
I remember having my keys in my hand and my car was slowly reversing out the driveway. I panicked, i was stomping on my brakes for a while jerking back and it took me about 2 minutes to finally get the key back in and try to put in park again. I went to a shop the following weekend because all the jerking and jabbing to get my key back in seems to have caused my ignition switch to misfire or whate... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
For lighting, model came with the quad beam and headlight would often malfunction leaving headlights stuck in the low position and high beams not usable. For power train, the 10 speed would cause sharp jolts and shifts that is not normal for regular driving. Very abrupt jolts that make operating vehicle unsafe to drive in traffic. Vehicle began experiencing these symptoms around 25k miles and ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
I heard a loud pop come from under my driver's seat and the seat started rocking backwards. I got out of my car and checked underneath the seat. The front-left bracket securing the seat to the seat frame had completely sheared in half and the seat was no longer securely attached to the seat frame. This is a significant safety issue. When the car accelerates the driver's seat rocks backwards by... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
When opening and closing the driver's door, it makes a creaking sound. It will not open completely and will not stay open. In addition, the power windows seem to be affected. I have taken it to a dealership and they report that the door hinges welding has failed.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
On multiple occasions, at least 10, my automatic braking detector system has engaged when no other cars were in front of me or around me on the road. It has happened while driving in the city at slow speeds, on the highway at 70-80mph, and most recently while going up ramp to merge onto interstate. The automatic brakes will engage causing my car to slightly brake and I then have to accelerate, esp... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
I was on my way to work. All the warning light appeared on my dash. Then all the warning light, radio, speedometer gage and all head light and tail lights went out. I was driving in the dark. My engine bogged down no power. I was barley moving. I replaced the battery no difference. I replaced the alternator worked for 3 minutes and then the car was back to the same as before. I contacted a nearby ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power. Additionally, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the warning light and the abnormal ticking sound persisted.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
Rear plastic hitch cover piece flew off at interstate speed endangering other drivers on the road
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
My Fiat 500 x only has 28k miles on it, and it is a manual transmission. While driving, it will not shift into the upper gears. I was told that it needs a new transmission. This seems to be the same issue that the same make and model Fiats from 2016 have been recalled for. Mine is a 2017, but it has the same issue and should be recalled, as well.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328XI. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking excessively from the engine compartment. The contact stated while driving, the 4WD, brakes, and Service engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while the warning lights were illuminated, the cruise control was inoperable. The dealer was not contacted. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
There is still no remedy for my vehicle, the rain water got inside my vehicle and made the seats/ carpet moldy and still smells like mold after 3 interior cleanings and months of keeping up with cleaning. Water still gets through. The back tailgate doesn’t work due to the recall and I’m not sure what to do. I would like the manufacturer to take it back and give me the amount I’ve paid for ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Twice now at red light my pilot has not started due to stop start feature. It was stuck in park / neutral . Car wouldn’t restart or go into gear. Almost everyday at least once car is hesitant to start after engine cuts out . Then dash lights like system collision isn’t working. Extremely dangerous was at a light on major interstate road. Last time it happened I. The summer had it checked out ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The automatic sliding door won't close intermittently. When closing the sliding door, it will beep then slide back open, it creates a safety issue when the door will not close. The problem occurred intermittently and sometimes shut the engine off and then restarted the engine to fix it, but this has happened more than 30 times so it needs to be addressed.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
About 30 minutes into a drive the steering wheel or electronic steering will begin to malfunction. When driving at high speeds, you are unable to make small minor corrections to stay center in your lane due to the steering wheel feeling like it’s sticking in one direction. It takes a considerable amount of force in order to make the correction resulting in an over correction. When traveling at h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
at night, vehicle incorrectly identified a dog running alongside the vehicle as a human and engaged the automatic breaks causing 5 occupants to suffer minor injuries including whip lash. One occupant was a baby in a car seat. two weeks later also at night, the same event occurred. tesla has refused to provide a means to permanently disable the automatic breaking feature when a human is in control... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Bought car new in December 2021. Both horns (low and high pitch) stopped working about a month after. Got it replaced. Next winter it went out again, got it looked at. Now this winter they went out again and I’m waiting on the dealership to get a new set in for it to be replaced. All replacements have been genuine Hyundai parts installed by a Hyundai dealership.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Bought car new in December 2021. Both horns (low and high pitch) stopped working about a month after. Got it replaced. Next winter it went out again, got it looked at. Now this winter they went out again and I’m waiting on the dealership to get a new set in for it to be replaced. All replacements have been genuine Hyundai parts installed by a Hyundai dealership.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
My truck stalled on I26 in Johnson City; I was able to get to the shoulder and was able to get it started again, and it seemed to work ok. After that I started having issues with it not starting, but if I turned the key off, and tried again it would start. I searched the internet and found that the TIPM module in this model truck is the culprit for this issue and that there is a "work around that ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 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 local 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 manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Audi A6. The contact stated that he became aware that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure, but an oil consumption test was not performed on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 65-68 MPH, the EPC and the check engine warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle started shuddering. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
I was driving and my car shifted to neutral by itself. I was crossing a 2 lane highway when it happened but thankfully I was able to shift back to drive. I was also using cruise control and i tapped my brakes which would usually cancel cruise control, but my car sped up instead of slowing down. My dealership said my car doesn't qualify for the recall even though it is exactly what is happening to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
I purchase the vehicle at 58,000 or so miles, used at a dealership. The next day I returned the vehicle because while driving out of town, the vehicle said: Warning, Warning -- This vehicle is not safe to drive. Some components may not operator correctly. Do Not Drive this vehicle. This happens when you're on the highway above 50 miles per hour. There was a smoke smell also inside the car and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
My third ABS module failed while towing (aka hydraulic control unit), resulting in a loss of ABS brakes and issues controlling the vehicle and trailer. The truck had 67,000 miles at the time of failure, and all modules have been replaced with OEM components, one of which is at my expense. There is absolutely a known problem with the HCU and Chrysler needs to issue a recall to remedy the issue an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
I was driving and out of no where l.the sunroof exploded . We didn't hit anything or nothing hit us it was crazy
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The vehicle just stated honking the horn , no key was in the ignition and no one was driving truck
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
Open recall for potential fire issue(DC to DC converter) is not being followed up on by Toyota.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
My relatively brand new BMW X5 with only 7,500 miles was parked in an enclosed parking garage with valet service. The car only had its warranty service about 7 weeks ago and was in fine condition. There were no issues with the suspension or steering. There was no accident and the car has never gone over a hard bump or pothole. The lower right front control arm snapped cleanly as if from meta... Read more
SUBARU
CROSSTREK
(2019) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE:SOFTWARE:PEDESTRIAN/CYCLIST/OBJECT/OBSTACLE/ RECOGNITION
Jan 2, 2024
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5. The contact stated that the pedestrian warning system was inoperable while reversing. Additionally, the contact stated that the battery was 92 percent charged; however, while driving 30-40 MPH, the message "Electric Power Failure" was displayed. The contact turned off the heater and the radio and continued driving. The contact stated that while parking the ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
My antilock braking system is defective and is not working. I understand that this is a common problem with my vehicle. It is a safety related issue and should be recalled. The code reader indicates C002001. Ram TSB S2005000004.