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 23,203 complaints for TESLA
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while in reverse with the brake pedal depressed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was a manufacturing defect; however, no remedy was available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
I was towing a 18000 lb fifth wheel rv about 45 mph when traffic made a panic stop in front of me. I couldn’t stop and had an accident. I later determined the brake controller on truck didn’t provide the 12 volts needed to get maximum braking from the fifth wheel brakes. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed that at slower speeds it doesn’t give maximum voltage. They contacted Ram eng... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds, the engine warning light illuminated. The driver checked the oil and noticed a milky substance in the oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local deal... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
On [XXX] on a trip to Florida a light came on my instrument cluster that the forward collision and the side blind spot mirror's were inoperable. [XXX] on the way back from Florida after the car being parked a week I was going up [XXX] and a car swerved in front of me and I almost hit it. This system had been working fine up until this time. After getting back on [XXX] OnStar notified me that my ri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
C2 cylinder has misfire due to coolant in the cylinder.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact received notified notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated upon turning on the heat or the A/C, there was an abnormal loud sound coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328I. The contact received notified notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated upon turning on the heat or the A/C, there was an abnormal loud sound coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2020
Continued electrical over discharge resulting in battery failure. Problem remains undiagnosed by dealer, multiple engine / transmission / seat malfunction error codes. Hybrid engine does not take over driving as operated. Concerned this may present as a fire hazard for one as electrical systems are not communicating in a hybrid vehicle. Secondary concern that the vehicle will suddenly lose pow... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact slammed on the brake pedal and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V653000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Contr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
I called to confirm the recall on my vehicle and after I was told that in fact my vehicle does have a recall that they don't have the parts so I will have to wait, I was not given any time line and absolutely no information on when my vehicle recall will be fixed
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
Brake booster failure. The power assisted braking has stopped working. There are no leaking vacuum hoses and the check valve is working. The brake pedal travels to the floorboard.
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
On October 17th. The vehicle exhibited serious electrical issues when I attempted to start it in my school parking lot. Upon pressing the start button, the car would not start, and all electrical items began malfunctioning. The lights inside and outside the vehicle were flashing, the windshield wipers activated on their own, the horn was beeping intermittently, and the car was emitting alarming no... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
On October 17th. The vehicle exhibited serious electrical issues when I attempted to start it in my school parking lot. Upon pressing the start button, the car would not start, and all electrical items began malfunctioning. The lights inside and outside the vehicle were flashing, the windshield wipers activated on their own, the horn was beeping intermittently, and the car was emitting alarming no... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
Electronic Throttle Body Car lost power on busy, construction road Manufacturer issued secret warranty to owners and did not send out notice Multiple certified mechanics have inspected the vehicle Check engine, ABS, service advance trac, and power train lights were on and i am uncertain when they first came on
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
In Auto Carwash while I was in vehicle it shifted from Neutral to Park causing the car behind me to hit my vehicle
Crash
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Pearl white paint is peeling on vehicle. Had no idea this a very large issue until I started looking more into as it has began to peel in large chunks.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
When vehicle is turned on OR during normal driving, audio volume randomly goes to full high mode (all the way up) to a deafening level that makes it difficult to drive. The knob, steering wheel controls and any connected devices (like the phone) do not control the audio. Audio setting is completely unresponsive and will not turn down. It is not possible to drive in this condition. I had to pull ov... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
I bought my 2016 Tuscon brand new. Ever since I bought the vehicle, I've complained to the dealer about the transmission slipping. They have told me that this issue is common but there is nothing they can do. Now it seems to be getting worse so I decided to look up the problem and found out a recall notice was issued for some 2016 Tuscons but mine wasn't included. My Tuscon has the exact same prob... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
1. Electronic brake system failure - the vehicle exhibited this issue and so far it appears Volkswagen does not have a resolution. Vehicle has been at the dealership for almost 2 months and they have not been able to fix. Several other reports show that this is a consistent issue with the ID4 (probably the first edition). Fixed are often temporary and the issues resurfaces again 2. Battery Modul... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
Yokohama Parada Spec-x tire, R275/45/R20 tread separation from belt. Second tire to do so since the start of 2024. Had to buy another brand name and tire after second tire separated from belts on 07/03/2024, causing me to spend $983.59 on new tires. There definitely something wrong with this line of Yokohama tires.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
Stopped in traffic near a red light. The Auto Stop/Start was enabled and activated when stopped at the light. When the light turned green, tried to go, but the AS/S system failed. A “No Eyesight” warning flashed and disappeared; various symbol lights blinked. Car would not start, hazards would not activate. After 20-30 seconds, I was able to put the car in park and restart the engine (would n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
Steering makes clicking and creaking noise after vehicle is warmed up and driving slow, like parking. Took it to Mcgraft Honda and service adviser heard the noise. Dealership then informed me that the tech could not duplicate the noise and told me it’s normal to hear noises while turning.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
New version of Autopilot software install is very unsafe. It aborts multiple times. It also accelerates when it should be stopping or slowing to make a turn.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
New version of Autopilot software install is very unsafe. It aborts multiple times. It also accelerates when it should be stopping or slowing to make a turn.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal clicking sound emanating from the front of the vehicle, after which she became aware that there was excessive left and right play in the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
Had Death Wobble incident approximately 45 mph locked up breaks, came to slow roll, drove out of condition. ford replaced steering stabilizer very scary with family in vehicle luckily no trailer attached. ford needs to fix before death occurs. the caster bushing to fix can't cost anymore than the stabilizer replaced and definitely less costly than a life. This doesn't give impression of not cari... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her sister was driving at approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over safely and continued to drive to her residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact noticed that there was smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact pulled to the side of the road and discovered that there was fluid leaking from underneath... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the braking system erroneously activated, causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. The contact stated that the failure was due to a failure with the computer reading the speed limit as 45 MPH instead of 65 MPH. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
The car will stall while on the freeway. Had fuel injectors replaced and still does not drive well. I am now being told I may have to look at the fuel pump which should be working automatically. I have now invested almost 3,000 on a car with less than 90,000 miles on it that is maintained religiously so that nothing happens to it.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the split-screen view of the overhead of the vehicle and the rear of the vehicle were distorted or was not showing an image on the display screen. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that while the A/C defroster was activated, there was no air blowing through the vents. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the blower motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 194,000.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The passenger present module in seat isn’t working with air bag. Per Cadillac passenger seat module is inside the seat and needs replaced.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The recall Type: Safety Service Campaign:WTY84 NHTSA Campaign: 18V772000 FB20 Valve Spring Replacement was reported completed by the manufacturer Subaru has no record of it being done. My car is now experiencing symptoms of this recall when I had no issues prior and want me to pay to look into the problem further. Now my vehicle has a check engine light for a recall that was potentially not done a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
Our 2014 KIA Sorento keeps burning through oil. We were told by the dealership to have an oil combustion chamber cleaning. We had bought the extended warranty and have maintained the recommended maintenance on this vehicle. This is a $700.00 (maintenance not covered by warranty). Come to find out, this cleaning might not solve our engine issue and our vehicle might continue to burn through oil. Or... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
Driving back from Las Vegas for a family trip, traffic was heavy, a lot of stop-and go. I started to feel the brakes delay to stop. After a few minutes I was able to pick up a little speed and again traffic was built up. This time the brakes failed and got stiff. I had to slam on the brakes and practically stand up on the brakes in order for the car to stop. I barely avoided wrecking into the car ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
The radio system constantly blanks out and will not come back on for hours even after trying to turn it off and back on. There are major issues that point to the recalls that are known for the 2022 VE Taos however, there are no recalls for my specific vehicle. The vehicle check engine light is constantly on and there is constantly an issue with the fuel system. The Taos has issues with accelerati... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
My car slammed on the brakes on the highway this morning at 75 mph. A box truck was following me but thankfully he didn't hit me. I was in what Tesla calls Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) at the time and quickly brought the car out of TACC and hit the accelerator to get me back up to speed so I didn't pose a danger to other drivers on the highway. I dont know exactly how much my car slowed,... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
My wife was driving to work and a car cut in front of her stopped for some weird reason on a green light and with the automatic braking the car stopped and was driving 20mph to 0 mph this was not i deal for the emergency braking and this should slow your car but not violently brake my daughter could have been seriously hurt thank god I have a good car seat
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
My wife was driving to work and a car cut in front of her stopped for some weird reason on a green light and with the automatic braking the car stopped and was driving 20mph to 0 mph this was not i deal for the emergency braking and this should slow your car but not violently brake my daughter could have been seriously hurt thank god I have a good car seat
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
My wife was driving to work and a car cut in front of her stopped for some weird reason on a green light and with the automatic braking the car stopped and was driving 20mph to 0 mph this was not i deal for the emergency braking and this should slow your car but not violently brake my daughter could have been seriously hurt thank god I have a good car seat
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
Infotainment System issue-basically the screen that controls the vehicle- apple car play (maps, phone, talk to text),radio, climate control etc. Screen pixelates and goes completely black losing maps, talk to text, phone etc. We have had the vehicle in 3 times. There is NO FIX from VW at this time. They replaced the screen and it continues to happen. Safety-can't talk to text, make phone calls (i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
Driver side doesn’t blow hot air. Especially, in winter it has been a problem with fogging windows and windshield. It is very unsafe because of very poor visibility. I see this has been a very common issue with many Honda CRV vehicles. Hope NHTSA will take this seriously. Thank you.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
Steering wheel clock spring is not working. Controls wipers, turn signals, speed control, voice commands, lane aware and allows to toggle thru control settings do not work. Ford doesn’t have part available or an ETA. This part covers vehicles from 2013 thru 2024 so currently vehicles coming down assembly line are using. My car is unusable like this. Aftermarket part is also unavailable. Please... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
The truck as a whole is in immaculate condition with absolutely no other issues other than the frame is completely rotting away. Holes on multiple pieces of the frame well above the six of a quarter.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2024
See attached document for complaint.