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 22,185 complaints for TESLA
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
I have two Hyundai vehicles one is a 2018 Tucson and a 2019 Kona. They both broke down at precisely the same time at 109,000 miles. One was the catalytic converter dealership was going to charge $5,000 for repair found a less expensive place to do it for $2,000. i was told by several of the mechanics at both places that it was a common problem. My point is I just paid the vehicle off it was just o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
My oil light came on while driving, it was flashing. I pulled over, checked my oil level and it was full. I had it towed to the nearby Firestone that I always use to check what was going on, I was afraid to keep driving it. The mechanic called me a day later and said that my wetbelt had disintegrated and that my engine was gone. He said that there was no way to check this during oil changes also. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Passenger SRS system fault. Initial error is due to a fault with the occupancy sensor. Presumably disabling or degrading seatbelt pre accident tensioning and proper airbag deployment. Also causes repeated & distracting beeps throughout drive.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Driving on hwy car states oil pressure low. Car decelerated from 70m to 40m instantly. Made a clanking noise pulled over to check and would not restart.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Vehicle is low mileage for its age (@ 30,000 miles) . Four (4) Goodyear tires identified in this report were purchase 04/28/2024 and as of 07/01/2024 had been driven @ 600 miles. On 07/01/2024, the rear drivers' side tire deflated while the vehicle was operational. Vehicle was immediately pulled off the roadway into a parking lot. Tire was removed by roadside service and at that time was notic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
I closed my tailgate and it sounded like it latched, but I got a warning as soon as I pulled out on the road that my tailgate was open. I pulled over but it still looked closed and didn’t fall when I pulled on it. I went to open the tailgate to try to shut it again but it wouldn’t open. I unlocked the car a few times and it still wouldn’t open. I had to push really hard and then pull the lat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
I closed my tailgate and it sounded like it latched, but I got a warning as soon as I pulled out on the road that my tailgate was open. I pulled over but it still looked closed and didn’t fall when I pulled on it. I went to open the tailgate to try to shut it again but it wouldn’t open. I unlocked the car a few times and it still wouldn’t open. I had to push really hard and then pull the lat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
Horn placement on steering wheel is a small button to the right of the airbag, which is difficult to engage, rather than in the center like nearly all vehicles for the last 50 years. I have had several incidents where I need to use the horn to warn another driver and rarely can find it when needed. Very dangerous and I feel lucky it hasn’t resulted in an accident.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
Vehicle reported a Passenger Restraint Failure intermittently and upon getting diagnosed is related to a faulty seat occupancy sensor. If this sensor can fail ~4yrs of ownership with < 30k miles driven and it is critical to passenger restraint, it would seem that this should be fixed by BMW. With quick search, the problem doesn't seem isolated: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
My five-month new Tesla Model Y tire blowout without any alert before it happened. The tire is original Pirelli Scorpion 255 / 45 / R19. Last week while I was driving at around 70 mph on a three-lane freeway. All of a sudden, I felt someone is dragging my wheels to the left. I was totally astonished. My first reaction was to hold my wheels. Within a few seconds I was totally out of control an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
Honda dealer refuses to fix Recall. Dealer at Arrowhead Honda at 8380 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382. Service advisor Grant Foster informed me that because the vehicle has a Restored Salvage title (unrelated to mechanical and electrical components) they will not fix the recall.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2024
Without any indication of a problem, the check engine light came on after turning off the car briefly. The car would not shift and the dash reads transmission problem. We had the car towed and we’re told we need a new transmission. There was 68,000 miles on the car and it has always been maintained.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2024
Sunroof drain lines leaked and filled the rear compartment with water which is also where the body control module is. The water damaged the body control module which affected vehicle lighting and abs system. Upon further investigation, this is a very common issue with Audi.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
The driver door would not latch closed all of a sudden, had to be secure to drive to dealer through the use of a seat belt through the inside door handle. This occurred at approximately 65,000 miles. This repair was within my extended vehicle warranty.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 295/30 ZR 21 102Y extra load Purchased Oct 2021, estimated 12,000 miles on vehicle and tire. Tire split along inside corner, nearly all the way around the tire. No warning, instant loss of pressure. No significant wear on the outside corner or the tread. Previously happened earlier in the year on the passenger side rear tire.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150 equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Defender LTX, Tire Size: 275/65/R18, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact stated that after a visual inspection, he observed that the front passenger’s side tire rib was cracked and separating from the tire body, exposing the steel belts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure but determin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The mechanic cleared the diagnostic trouble codes; however, the failure persiste... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
Started receiving Error RCM_a056 Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault. The vehicle shows that the passenger airbags are DISABLED after the alert is issued. I am working under the assumption that all passenger airbags (front, side, overhead) are currently disabled at all times. This puts my family at risk if there were to be a collision. Tesla seems to know exactly what the problem is ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
We, a group of Audi S6 owners with vehicles from the 2013-2017 model years, are experiencing premature mechatronic issues. These problems manifest as jerking when coming to a stop, which can lead to accidents, and intermittent power loss that can be life-threatening. These issues began around 40,000 miles and have progressively worsened, despite our vehicles having only approximately 70,000 miles ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
We, a group of Audi S6 owners with vehicles from the 2013-2017 model years, are experiencing premature mechatronic issues. These problems manifest as jerking when coming to a stop, which can lead to accidents, and intermittent power loss that can be life-threatening. These issues began around 40,000 miles and have progressively worsened, despite our vehicles having only approximately 70,000 miles ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2024
Service ABS braking system keeps appearing intermittently along with traction control and ABS lights illuminating on instrument panel. NO RECALL for this problem has been issued and parts are expensive to replace. Please direct manufacturer to fix issue immediately. Thank you for your mission to ensure the safety of others!!
Incident date: Apr 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. 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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
Had for a year. 6 months ago, started sputtering, surging, slowing and dying on a regular basis. Have had it shop at Chapman used in Tucson, AZ and Lawley Hyundai in Sierra Vista Arizona 3 times. Chaan couldn't repair, so we went to Lawley. The mechanism there keep saying they cannot reproduce! The engine malfunctions 3-4 time during any drive we do. Has been going on for 6 months.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
I went to Honda to get my car serviced & I told them i was experiencing my steering wheel sticking every time I drive & make turns or change lanes. Sometimes the car will notify me to brake but there is nothing Infront of me & the vehicle. The dealership told me that they had never heard of such thing that the steering wheel sticking. They informed me that there was a back order on this car part &... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
I went to Honda to get my car serviced & I told them i was experiencing my steering wheel sticking every time I drive & make turns or change lanes. Sometimes the car will notify me to brake but there is nothing Infront of me & the vehicle. The dealership told me that they had never heard of such thing that the steering wheel sticking. They informed me that there was a back order on this car part &... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Charger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V198000 (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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle the power steering assist had malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. After restarting the vehicle the failure had self-corrected but later reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the Steering Rack and Pinion were faulty and needed to be... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
I placed my laptop bag, which weighs less than 15 lbs., on the passenger seat. Despite this, the seatbelt warning system continues to alert me about the seatbelt not being worn. The passenger seat should be able to detect when a human passenger is present. Unfortunately, I have to buckle the seatbelt to turn off the warning light and chime, even though there is no human passenger or item weighing ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
Car would not drive faster than 25 mph. Check engine light on codes p1326 and p0014. Not eligible for ki engine settlement but have the same issue..
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
My Tesla was parked unlocked in my garage. I came out to drive it and all the doors were locked and would not open with my key card. It also would not unlock with my cell phone app. Tesla customer service also could not remotely unlock it. The vehicle had to be towed to a Tesla Service Center where they forced open the window to gain access. They stated the car needed a new control panel. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Engine shifted down one gear in the middle of the road while during normally. Almost caused me to loose control of vehicle. This had happen 3 or 4 times. Engine also gets “stuck” in 1st gear until electronic error message comes on dash. Then dash goes blank and then it runs fine. Requires me to restart the engine to fix the issue, however it happens 9/10 times while driving.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Engine shifted down one gear in the middle of the road while during normally. Almost caused me to loose control of vehicle. This had happen 3 or 4 times. Engine also gets “stuck” in 1st gear until electronic error message comes on dash. Then dash goes blank and then it runs fine. Requires me to restart the engine to fix the issue, however it happens 9/10 times while driving.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electrical Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes); 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 y... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
Shift to Park error occurs 90% of the time I put my car into park. The car turns off but none of the electrical does, like its in accessory mode. Dings when you try to leave the car and will not lock. Display reads 'Shift into Park'. I have to jiggle the shifter to get it to engage. Could be a couple jiggles or 5 mins of jiggling and restarting the car, shifting from drive to park over and over..... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
At highway speeds the steering sticks or hangs up. This car has an early version of electronically assisted steering and research shows Honda has recalled some models for this issue ... but not my VIN. That doesn't make sense. Honda tells me that recalls are based on manufacturing facility which doesn't make sense on a safety issue. So, when driving at highway speeds, the steering will stick, pu... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
Jun 26, 2024
Incident date: Jun 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while refueling the vehicle, the fuel filler neck was not allowing fuel to flow into the tank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel filler neck. The contact was informed that the fuel tank filler assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
driveshaft coupler failed Ford refuses to fix damaged parts from coupler failure. Received notice of safety recall 10-25-2023. Recall was issued 10-25-2019 but I was never notified of a recall. (recall notices are sent by mail) once recall notice was received 10-25-2023 I tried countless times to have recall done but parts were never available. Finally took to the dealer and had them place the pa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
Driving home on dark, deserted roads, my brights will not click on. When I click, nothing happens. When I hold the turner back in the mode to “flash my brights”, the bright headlights will come on. I had to drive holding this back almost an hour so I could see. I had a mechanic look and he said the switch is wired to the computer, so it is not an easy fix, but will have to go to the dealers... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
Driving home on dark, deserted roads, my brights will not click on. When I click, nothing happens. When I hold the turner back in the mode to “flash my brights”, the bright headlights will come on. I had to drive holding this back almost an hour so I could see. I had a mechanic look and he said the switch is wired to the computer, so it is not an easy fix, but will have to go to the dealers... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
When driving down the highway at 65 mph there was a loud bang and wind started blowing through the roof. Small shards of glass came through the moon roof. I pulled over at the next exit and stopped. I looked at the moon roof and it had exploded. At the time of the incident the moon roof was closed. It was daylight and I was not near an overpass, so no one could have thrown a rock to cause the dama... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
At a low speed coming to a stop sign on an uneven paved road the steering wheel shook and the brake pedal pulsed. I was unable to stop the vehicle in a timely manner. The outside conditions were normal and the pavement was dry. Luckily there was not a vehicle or pedestrian in front of me or I likely would have ran into them. It scared me and my daughter that was in the car with me.
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
I was driving my 2012 Hyundai Elantra and it suddenly stopped. I took it to be checked out and it has an excessive oil consumption issue which can cause engine failure or a fire. Hyundai refuses to acknowledge the issue or fix it. After doing some research I see that this is a common problem with this car. I have to check my oil every 1000 miles and many times less than that and refill it. They sh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
FRONT PASSANGER SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The passenger seat occupancy sensor has malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to believe that there is an infant car seat in the front passenger seat. This puts front passengers at risk because the air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash. While having body work done at Swartz's Ultimate Collison repair in Lewisburg, it was noted by the technician, however Mini does not cover repair by a no... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
I park at the Mall and after two hours, start the car again to go home the front panel shows "Power Steering Malfunction See owners manual" and the steering has not assistance which makes hard to drive. The steering is hard to maneuver.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
Making a 90 degree right turn at an intersection traveling approximately 15 mph, my steering wheel suddenly got very stiff and unresponsive. This caused me to travel into the oncoming lane of traffic before wrestling the very stiff steering wheel back under control. This condition persisted for the rest of my drive home, accompanied by “Steering assist reduced” and “lane assist keep unavaila... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and pealing out. Vehicle will not deploy the airbags if in accident. It needs to be replaced. It is a common issue. It is a safety hazard.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and pealing out. Vehicle will not deploy the airbags if in accident. It needs to be replaced. It is a common issue. It is a safety hazard.
Incident date: May 26, 2024
2024 Ford Maverick turned off and gave me a message across dash that said stop safely now. In pulling onto the shoulder was almost hit by traffic from behind. Vehicle would not restart and had to be towed. It took 2.5 weeks to get it repaired. They replaced the high voltage power inverter, one time use bolts, and the high voltage fuse.
Incident date: May 26, 2024
THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON A RECALL FOR AIR BAG SAFETY CONCERN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. I HAVE CALLED NUMEROUS TIMES GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLAINED THAT MY LOCAL DEALERS REFUSES TO REPLACE THIS ITEM. EVERY TIME I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUNAROUND REGARDING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. I KEEP GETTING NOTICES OF THE RECALL BUT WHAT GOOD IS IT WHEN GM AND THE DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO REP... Read more