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 6,583 complaints for SUZUKI
Incident date: Jul 15, 1999
ENGINE VALVES ARE BAD, AND THE CRANK CHAIN TENSIONER ALSO MALFUNCTIONED.VALVES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES, IN ADDITION, REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP AT ANY SPEED. *AK
MOUNT BOLT AT A/C COMPRESSOR ADJUSTMENT BROKE CAUSING THE SERPENTINE BELT TO LOOSE TENSION RESULTING IN POWER STEERING LOSS. NLM
Incident date: Jul 30, 1999
WHILE INSPECTING THE REAR BRAKE, I NOTED THAT THE BRAKE SHOES WERE WORN NEARLY TO THE BACKING PLATE. IN MY OPINION THIS CONSTITUTES ABNORMAL WEAR. ADDITIONALLY, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS CONDITION WAS DISCOVERED 1025 MILES BEFORE THE NEXT NORMALLLY SCHEDULED INSPECTION (4000 MILES). IF THIS CONDITION HAD REMAINED UNDISCOVERED UNTIL THE NEXT SCHEDULED INSPECTION IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CO... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 1999
HAD RESISTANT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAD SHIFTED INTO DRIVE & TAPPED ACCELERATOR PEDAL & IT BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INSIDE THE GARAGE & HIT A PILLAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. NO INJURIES. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Jun 7, 1999
HAD RESISTANT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAD SHIFTED INTO DRIVE & TAPPED ACCELERATOR PEDAL & IT BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INSIDE THE GARAGE & HIT A PILLAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. NO INJURIES. *AK
Crash
SUZUKI
SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE
(1996) — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
Jul 27, 1999
Incident date: Aug 1, 1998
FUEL PETCOCK (VALVE) STARTED LEAKING RESULTING IN POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. REPLACED PART AT OWNER'S EXPENSE, DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE. CONSUMER SAID MODEL IS VS1400
Incident date: Apr 12, 1998
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND APPLYING BRAKES, REAR BRAKES ARE COMPLETELY WORN OUT. WHEN CONSUMER IS COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE MOTORCYCLE BACKFIRES AND STALLS OUT. CONSUMER HAS TO EITHER ROLL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD/ PUT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO NEUTRAL, OR PULL THE CLUTCH IN AND RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE. *AK
Incident date: Aug 15, 1998
BRAKES STARTED TO MAKE NOISES EVEN AFTER THEY WERE REPLACED AND ARE NOT RESPONDING LIKE THEY SHOULD. THEY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED 3 TIMES AND CONTINUE TO PERFORM POORLY.
I HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT THE BIKE INTO THE DEALER 3 TIMES ALREADY. THEY HAVE REPLACED A FEW GASKETS BUT THE BIKE STILL LEAKS OIL. SINCE THEN MY FACTORY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THEY ARE CHARGING ME TO LOOK AT IT NOW. THE LAST TIME I HAD THEM LOOK AT THE BIKE I WAS CHARGED $50.00. AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THE NEXT DAY THE BIKE LEAKED OIL AGAIN. IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 1998
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED REAR AXLE CAME OFF DUE TO NUT COMING OFF THE BOLT. TOOLS DON'T FIT THE AXLE. ALSO,THERE IS SOME VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH. *AK
Incident date: Jul 23, 1998
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED REAR AXLE CAME OFF DUE TO NUT COMING OFF THE BOLT. TOOLS DON'T FIT THE AXLE. ALSO,THERE IS SOME VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH. *AK
Incident date: Jul 16, 1999
THE A/C FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AND WATER DRIPPED ONTO THE PASSENGERS SIDE FLOORBOARDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX AREA, SOAKING THE ENTIRE FLOORBOARD AREA
Incident date: Jul 16, 1999
THE A/C FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AND WATER DRIPPED ONTO THE PASSENGERS SIDE FLOORBOARDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX AREA, SOAKING THE ENTIRE FLOORBOARD AREA
VEHICLE MAKES A VERY LOUD NOISE WHEN GOING ABOVE 60 MPH AND THERE IS SOME VIBRATION. DEALER HS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Incident date: May 22, 1999
FUEL PET COCK DRIPS GAS ON THE HOT ENGINE, A SURE FIRE WAY TO GET BARBECUE BIKE SYNDROME,AN EXPLOSION IS EMINENT , LEAKS IN ALL POSITIONS, MANY OTHER OF THE SAME MODEL ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE , PROBLEM POSTED ON WWW.77.CYBERHOST.NET/INTRUDER/ A INTRUDER CLUB SITE FOR OWNERS. THANK YOU. *AK
Incident date: Sep 1, 1996
TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT. REPEATEDLY AND THEY NEVER FOUND PROBLEMS SO CONVIENANTLY WE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND ENDED UP TURNING THE CAR IN AND LOSSING EVERYTHING WE PUT IN TO IT AND MESSING UP OUR CREDIT DUE TO WE WERE TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER. SO OTHER PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. IT STRANDED ME AND MY 2 CHILDREN SEVEERAL... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 1996
TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT. REPEATEDLY AND THEY NEVER FOUND PROBLEMS SO CONVIENANTLY WE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND ENDED UP TURNING THE CAR IN AND LOSSING EVERYTHING WE PUT IN TO IT AND MESSING UP OUR CREDIT DUE TO WE WERE TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER. SO OTHER PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. IT STRANDED ME AND MY 2 CHILDREN SEVEERAL... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 1996
TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT. REPEATEDLY AND THEY NEVER FOUND PROBLEMS SO CONVIENANTLY WE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND ENDED UP TURNING THE CAR IN AND LOSSING EVERYTHING WE PUT IN TO IT AND MESSING UP OUR CREDIT DUE TO WE WERE TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER. SO OTHER PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. IT STRANDED ME AND MY 2 CHILDREN SEVEERAL... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 1999
THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR LEFT SEAT BELTS ON OUR 1991 SUZUKI SIDEKICK HAVE BOTH FAILED THIS WEEK. WE HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS IN THE CAR. THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT BELT HAS LOCKED IN ITS CASE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. THE LEFT REAR SEATBELT NO LONGER LO. *AK
WITH ONE OR TWO WINDOWS OPENED, AND IN 2ND THROUGH 5TH GEAR, VEHICLE WILL SHAKE/VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
Incident date: Jun 19, 1999
MOTOR ALSO BACKFIRES WHEN ON THE THROTTLE. *AK
SUZUKI
SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE
(1999) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Jun 21, 1999
Incident date: Apr 5, 1999
VEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUED ENGINE PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE, REPAIR ATTEMPT LED TO ADDITION ENGINE FAILURES. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
DRIVE SHAFT SEAL FAILED, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. *YC
Incident date: Apr 13, 1999
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Incident date: Feb 1, 1999
REPLACED FUEL PETCOCK ASSEMBLY.
Incident date: Mar 20, 1999
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 1997
ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION DURING RAINY CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION. *YC
Incident date: May 23, 1999
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Jan 20, 1998
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Incident date: Mar 31, 1999
IN ADDITION, REPAIR JOB HAD TO BE DONE TWICE, AS LISTED PART DID NOT SEAL. *AK
Incident date: Jul 12, 1998
BRAKES ARE TOO SMALL FOR MOTORCYCLE. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, THEY WON'T STOP MOTORCYCLE. CONSUMER HAD TO PUSH BRAKES IN ORDER FOR MOTORCYCLE TO COME TO A STOP. *AK
NEED TO KNOW IF THIS SUV HAS BEEN KNOWN TO ROLL OVER BEFORE I PURCHASE PLEASE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
Incident date: Apr 3, 1999
CONSUMER WAS REARENDED. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT RETRACTORS BROKE, CAUSING THE PASSENGERS TO FALL/LIDE INTO THE REAR SEATS. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE HEADREST BENT. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 3, 1999
CONSUMER WAS REARENDED. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT RETRACTORS BROKE, CAUSING THE PASSENGERS TO FALL/LIDE INTO THE REAR SEATS. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE HEADREST BENT. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 16, 1999
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (60 MPH OR MORE) INTENSE VIBRATION IS FELT. IT MAKES ME FEEL AS IF I AM OUT OF CONTROL. I TEST DROVE ANOTHER ONE THAT DID THE SAME THING AND FOOLISHLY THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THAT ONE. I AM RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO BE LOOKED AT. THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME OTHERS HAVE BEEN COMING BACK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED WHAT THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE SHE WOULDN'T TELL ME ! ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 1999
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS THAT I'LL NEED TO HAVE MY CLUTCH REPAIRED/REPLACED. IT WILL NOT GO INTO 1ST OR REVERSE WITHOUT USING EXCESSIVE FORCE. PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW BARELY GOES UP AND DOWN-IT'S BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE. REAR PASSENGER SIDE PANEL FALLING OFF CAR.
Incident date: Apr 10, 1999
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS THAT I'LL NEED TO HAVE MY CLUTCH REPAIRED/REPLACED. IT WILL NOT GO INTO 1ST OR REVERSE WITHOUT USING EXCESSIVE FORCE. PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW BARELY GOES UP AND DOWN-IT'S BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE. REAR PASSENGER SIDE PANEL FALLING OFF CAR.
Incident date: Apr 10, 1999
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS THAT I'LL NEED TO HAVE MY CLUTCH REPAIRED/REPLACED. IT WILL NOT GO INTO 1ST OR REVERSE WITHOUT USING EXCESSIVE FORCE. PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW BARELY GOES UP AND DOWN-IT'S BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE. REAR PASSENGER SIDE PANEL FALLING OFF CAR.
SUZUKI
SIDEKICK
(1998) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Apr 2, 1999
Incident date: Nov 27, 1998
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-60MPH FRONT RIGHT TIRE STARTED SMOKING. PULLED TO SIDE & CHECKED. NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING. HAD PADS, ROTORS & SHOES CHANGED. AFTER TRYING TO STOP, HAD NO BRAKES. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. *AK
Incident date: Nov 27, 1998
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-60MPH FRONT RIGHT TIRE STARTED SMOKING. PULLED TO SIDE & CHECKED. NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING. HAD PADS, ROTORS & SHOES CHANGED. AFTER TRYING TO STOP, HAD NO BRAKES. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. *AK
Incident date: Mar 26, 1999
THE SPRING WHICH CONTROLS THE REAR LIFTGATE GOT OUT OF ITS PLASTIC DUE TO WIRE MELTING THE PLASTIC, AND CAUSED THE REAR DOOR TO OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSD INJURIES. THE REAR DOOR WILL NOT SHUT CLOSED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
SUZUKI
SIDEKICK
(1997) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Mar 25, 1999
Incident date: Oct 16, 1998
BRAKING PERFORMANCE IS SEVERLY DIMINISHED, ONLY PARTIAL BRAKING POWER IS BEING USED. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED A NORMAL WEAR PATTERN AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Incident date: Mar 15, 1999
CLUTCH WELD ATTACHMENT BROKEN: PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR UPON STARTING THE ENGINE. REOCCURING SIGNS OF "STICKING" OCCURED WHILE UP-SHIFTING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY SAFETY WAS IN JEOPORDY! CAR WOULD NOT HAVE STARTED-UP AGAIN, IF THE PEDAL BROKE DURING ANY TRIP.
Incident date: Nov 1, 1998
I WANTED INFORMATION ON HOW EASILY THE SAMURAI TIPS OVER...
I HAVE A CENTURY CARSEAT, MODEL 4387LHT, MFG DATE 010697, THAT HAS A BUCKLE THAT SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. IT WOULD NO LONGER BUCKLE CLOSED. UPON CALLING CENTURY PRODUCTS I WAS TOLD THAT OFTEN KIDS STICK FOREIGN ITEMS IN THE HOLE WHERE THE BUCKLE IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I CAN ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND IT IS A DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT. CENTURY PRODUCTS DID NOT WANT THE CARSEAT ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 1999
NO SUMMARY
CONSUMER HEARING A HUMMING NOISE FRON THE AIR CONDITIONING AND IS FEELING VIBRATIONS WHICH MAKE HER FEEL SHE IS LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
Incident date: Jul 8, 1997
SAFETY RECALL RETROFIT OF THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
Incident date: Sep 30, 1998
THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, AND THE LAST ONE HAS BEEN "RESET" STILL NOT FUNCTIONING, ALSO ENGINE HAS INTERMITTENT SKIPPING, FREQUENT SHAKING PROBLEMS, AND STALLING, FOLLOWED BY HARD STARTING, AND POWER SURGES. ENGINE IDLES, THEN VEHICLE IS PUT BACK IN DRIVE, AND WITH LITE PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR PEDAL, VEHICLE TAKES OFF, WITH R.P.M.'S EXCEEDING 5,000 RPMS.