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: Oct 22, 2020
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that rodents and squirrels had eaten the wiring on multiple occasions. The ABS, cruise control, parking, and traction control warning lights illuminated and became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the wiring had been chewed on and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
I bought a used 2016 Hyundai Tucson locally. Had the car 3 days, & both rear window actuators had to be replaced. Had the car a week, oil pump/pan seal failed. Then the rear seal fail. Then the boot on the right CV joint failed. The aAC started blowing hot on the passenger side, while cold on the driver side, but I DON’T have dual controls for the temperature & it’s full. Bluetooth randomly co... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2023
The air in the car started blowing warm in 2021. I took it to the dealership and they said maybe a leak. They did a leak test and put something I. It to make it cold for a couple days. I’ve been having g the same complaint since. After looking online, I saw that it is a compressor issue. I had an oil change done last week and asked them to look at it. They said it was my compressor. The car is o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
The transmission was making noise and missing and the vehicle was not picking up speed.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
When driving (Once going downhill 6% grade, several times driving level on the freeway and once on a 45 MPH road with ruts), the front end began shaking violently to the point I was losing control of the vehicle until I slowed down. The vehicle would be available for inspection upon request. Safety was impacted by the loss of control resulting from the vehicle violently shaking. I took the truc... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Electronic power steering failed while driving. Power steering has remained inoperable and vehicle can not be safely driven.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
When driving, ALL lights on the dash went on and vehicle safety features did not work- no cruise control, automatic breaking, automatic headlight adjustments, etc. We were over 500 miles from home and had the oil changed but it did not fix the problem. Had $72,000 miles on it, 4 years old. We had to drive home that distance to get it repaired over a 2-3 day period. No safety features were enabl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE - INSPECT GENERATOR CONTROL MODULE Previous recall issued, Chevy says car issue was resolved but is not
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
On 8/28/23, I turned my car on and all the warning lights were flashing on the dashboard. Two days later, just before bringing the car in for diagnostics, they stopped flashing. Then today, started again. This happened before in April, of this year, but the lights stopped flashing until now. In May, my car slammed on the brakes while I was driving down a side road. The diagnostics showed nothing... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
Random stalling, lack of power, and failure to restart. Engine died in the middle of an intersection crossing a 2 lane highway leaving me to push it off the highway or get hit by oncoming traffic. The engine also stalled multiple times on the road at highway speed 35-55mph causing me to seek immediate safety on the shoulder or grass. Bike was taken to the dealer for assessment and the current plan... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Driver's seat started peeling off approximately a year after purchase. Notified dealer, they said to contact Subaru of America via social media. Now almost all peeled off, have to cover with towel possibly interfering with airbags. Steering column lock will not lock in top position. Dealer repaired once under warranty, now out of warranty. Unsafe when column moves when driving. Transmission starte... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Car sitting on level ground, driven previous day with no problem. Upon unsuccessfully trying to start car, I smelled strong gasoline odor. I turned off ignition and opened hood and observed nothing unusual. I backed car up enough to get out to check for gas puddle. There was a puddle about 24 inches across of gasoline where car had been parked. I have arranged to have vehicle towed to independent ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Dealership says there is no recall tied to this vehicle. But hyundai recall website, says yes my vin/vehicle has an incomplete recall.
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with dark, heavy scoring on the cylinder walls and the engine was replaced under warranty. Recentl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera was blank with a message displayed. The contact was unsure what the message stated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not cont... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2023
Subframe is completely rotted. Taken to several mechanics who were unable to diagnose handling problems and severe tire wear. After research this is a common problem, we were never notified this could be an extremely dangerous and hidden issue. Car is unsafe to operate without expensive repairs. Unacceptable.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (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 made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
Nothing happened, yet. The magnetic material attached to the reluctor wheel provides a signal to the crankshaft position sensor. If this signal material is lost, the engine loses its ability to synchronize injector pulses and cam timing. This loss of crankshaft position can result in an engine stall, as well as loss of the ability to restart the engine. Safety Risk A loss of motive power can cause... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
On about 4 to 5 occasions while driving on the highway, the car sort of stalls and a loss of control happens where everything feels locked up for a few seconds and a big thump is heard. It feels like the transmission has completely dropped out or that I have been hit but I have not been hit, it’s just the jerking motion I was feeling. It has happened both when excelerating to change lanes and ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 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 contacted 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 was not made ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2023
I've owned my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3L V6 since late 2021. I haven't noticed it using oil. Stopped at a traffic light, the engine lost power. It was so scary! No warning lights were on my dash. I was thankful to not be rear-ended...although I could have filed an insurance claim if I had been. As it is, my insurance says it is a 'mechanical failure.' The car would not start but luckily some stran... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold starts, he heard a ticking and tapping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that after idling for five seconds, the ticking and tapping sound subsided. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed by the technician of a known issue and provided information rega... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
Have been experiencing what has been termed as the death wobble that is a known problem in the ford f250 and f350 from 2005 to 2019 trucks. Mine is a f350 2016. While driving on highways over 50 can experience a violent shaking in the front end after hitting a bump in road. Feels like the truck can not recover and like loosing control of vehicle. Very scary sensation that at any time could make... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
Vehicle will not shift when needed or suddenly shift when it shouldn’t be, causing a lurching motion of the car. Then, the vehicle would not be able to be put into reverse. Appears to be a transmission issue.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The steering coupler for the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) was disentegrated mostly. There are 8 cutouts on the coupler. 4 catch the motor and 4 catch the steering box. Its original and made of soft rubber. The steering always seemed vague for a sports car. The new coupler Dorman 926-990 looks like a urethane, some type of firmer material. The car steers perfectly now. The danger is from the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
My mechanic tells me my Outback's K frame/engine cradle is rotting out where the control arms are attached. This is obviously a common problem with this run of vehicles, and leads to catastrophic failure. Further, the rear brake lines have rotted, and the geniuses ran them above the fuel tank, which would have to be dropped in order to repair. I believe this is a common enough problem to warr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
I was driving on the freeway when it sounded like an explosion inside the vehicle occurred. I was not sure what it was at first, and then I started to hear glass rattling in the sunroof area. I pulled over and looked on top of the vehicle and the sunroof glass has exploded. Nothing hit the vehicle, so heat must have caused the sunroof to explode. It was approximately 103 degrees outside per the ve... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Jeep Commander. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the engine revved, and the vehicle began to lose motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he shifted from drive (D) to park (P) and from park to neutral (N) and then drive (D) several times until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
Airbag light continually goes off and on with alerting beep and light
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the automatic headlights warning light, the brake warning light, the adaptive cruise control warning light, the lane mitigation warning light, and collision mitigation warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine made an abnormal rattling sound. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a piston failure in a cylinder w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Code p2111 Dealership said throttle body needs to be replaced. Vehicle has only 67,336 miles. Was driving and the warning on the dash appeared “service engine now.” I lost the ability to accelerate. Coasted out of traffic with what little ability the vehicle had left. Would have caused an accident in heavier traffic. Vehicle was towed to Ford dealership where diagnosed. This same problem occu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
Truck is a diesel. Fuel pump blew up and died in the middle of the street. Now I'm being told the Fuel system needs completely re done and will cost me 10g. I also found a lawsuit for this issue as well.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
The Eyesight keeps disabling itself. And the infotainment system is not working properly. My car is at the dealership and they are telling me they are waiting for back up camera to come off backorder 10/3/23. This means my vehicle will have been at the dealership for repair a total of 45 days if backorder date is correct. I purchased this vehicle brand new 5/6/23. I have researched online and ther... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 experien... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
The Back up camera and 360 camera fail frequently. The rear camera video will interminably go blank when backing. It will also sometimes change to the front view camera view which almost caused an accident in heavy freeway traffic because I thought I lost my trailer. I have had to replace 3 camera in 3 years and both Newmar and the camera manufacture Riverpark/Xicte have no solutions. Now the la... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Audi Q5. The contact stated that after opening the trunk door and reaching into the trunk, the trunk door inadvertently released, and the door struck the contact on the neck. No medical attention was sought. The contact stated that the trunk door was difficult to manually raise up. The contact heard a beeping sounding and was able to get out of the way before the trunk clos... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
I am financing a 2007 chevy malibu from r n r car co on 411 gratiot in mt Clemens has had one problem after the other first the brakes went fix I told them there was a sway problem up front wanted it fixed before I took it off the lot they did not I could’ve been seriously hurt the sway bar tie rod n control arm went in the front of the car dealership said would help with half the bill didn’t ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
- The car did not start and we were left stranded in an unsafe place. When I turned the car on I immediately saw and error saying "Conditions not correct for shift" and then it wouldn't turn back off - safety was at risk because it was super hot and my 5 year old with autism could not make it home in our own car - not taken to dealer however many reports on social media for the same issue. [XXX] ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
This vehicle had a complete engine failure. Since it is a hybrid, when the engine shut down, the vehicle lost all power. The driver had no control over steering or brakes. The vehicle crashed through three trees and into a house. Hyundai Motors of America and NHTSA are aware of the issues with this vehicle's engine, however, this engine was already replaced. The problem was that the "limp mode" di... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
After driving the vehicle I will arrive at my destination. I will stop, continue pressing the vehicle break while moving the shifter from drive to park. Then, I turn the key to the off position in an attempt to remove my key from the Ignition. About 40-50% of the time, the key can not be removed. In order remove the key I will have to do one of the following: Option 1. Let my foot of of the break,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
We were driving our Ford Escape when the RPMs shot up, and our car would no longer accelerate. The transmission is whirring, and we are unable to operate the vehicle safely. It keeps losing the ability to accelerate and move forward. This comes only a year or so after we had the recall for the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Honda pilot with start stop system will shut off the engine when possible. In some cases the car will shut off and. Or restart and flash various warnings on the dashboard. Only way to fix is wait some time and shut off car and restart. This is dangerous as this happens randomly when highways and local roads. And it takes time to get the car restarted and the engine restarted in those cases. I went... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) throws false positive alerts every time. The sudden false warning notification takes the attention of the driver away from road even though there is no reason for the driver to be alerted. This is a safety hazard as driver can make unnecessary mistake due to the false warning chime. FCW throws warning chime even when there is no vehicle ahead, or there is a vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
there is a recall, 19A, that has no fix yet. the "this-might-happen" happened to me. clutch plate hot, hole through transmission, near melted fuel lines. got it fixed, major work $6000. Chrysler won't reimburse me because "there is no fix for the recall yet." that is the point. my car sustained major damage due to the recall issue with no fix. when they do find a fix, the replacement parts ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
The driver side door hinge came off. I can still open/shut it but the window is now stuck at the halfway point.
Incident date: May 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed an excessive loss of coolant. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was damaged due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was n... Read more