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: Jun 30, 2024
When putting my vehicle in park to turn off the car, a warning light comes on to put vehicle into park. The vehicle is already in park and am unable to turn off the vehicle. In order to turn off the engine I must repeatedly turn it on and off and hit the gear shifter multiple times. This problem is becoming more and more frequent. I see numerous other 2018 Malibus in the complaint section report... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2024
When putting my vehicle in park to turn off the car, a warning light comes on to put vehicle into park. The vehicle is already in park and am unable to turn off the vehicle. In order to turn off the engine I must repeatedly turn it on and off and hit the gear shifter multiple times. This problem is becoming more and more frequent. I see numerous other 2018 Malibus in the complaint section report... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
While driving Jeep losses power and stops. At garage now and they can’t find reasonable explanation. Has less than 50k miles. Danger while driving since it just shuts off while no lights come on to indicate problems
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message "Transmission Overheating" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission clutch forks was stuck, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
I am not sure what system failed, but I suspect it could be an electrical or engine problem. The car has lost towing features, has shut off or almost shut off while driving on highways or while making left and right turns during exits from highways. The vehicle has also lost power steering. This happen while the vehicle was towing a travel trailer on the highway. There will be occasions when the f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
Around 8 times now if my vehicle senses something in the front it will abruptly brake very hard. There doesn’t have to be anything in the view, simply pulling out of a gas station it will do, and it’s almost caused a collision, as it takes a few seconds to be able to disable, manually. This is extremely dangerous, and is going to eventually hurt someone seriously. It is imperative that somethi... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2024
ABS (Antilock Brake System) failure which also affects the VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist).
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
Lost power when accelerating up highway hills, it coded P0420, catalytic converter on Bank 1 is not operating as efficiently as it should. This code is often caused by issues with the fuel or exhaust systems, which can result in insufficient oxygen leaving the catalytic converter. Hyundai dealer changed the catalytic converter July 2023, 1 yr to the day my vehicle did the same thing and had anothe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The vehicle had approx 10k miles and I simply tried to open the sunroof before leaving my driveway and something snapped. The Sunroof was then stuck in the open position, I could not close it. I called my regular dealership for help as it was under warranty and practically new. The dealership said they are too busy to help me, I have no garage and there was rain in the forecast. I called other dea... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The vehicle had approx 10k miles and I simply tried to open the sunroof before leaving my driveway and something snapped. The Sunroof was then stuck in the open position, I could not close it. I called my regular dealership for help as it was under warranty and practically new. The dealership said they are too busy to help me, I have no garage and there was rain in the forecast. I called other dea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
UNKNOWN the white paint is peeling off of my car causing it to rust the dealership took pictures and inspected it and started a good will claim and said it should be fixed under that and then came back a month later and said hyundai has now canceled all of there goodwill claims for paint repair
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
Warning light comes on the dash and Ford App that car is overheating and to service. Car will not move but stays running and the cooling fan comes on. This happened when car was started first thing in morning so it hadn't been running for at least 12 hours. Had the same issue back in Nov of 2023 took into Friendly Ford in Monroe, MI and they had it for a couple of weeks and couldn't duplicate the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2024
Had new Ford factory transmission installed due to only getting 72000 miles on original trans. New transmission, after being installed, has been deemed defective from the factory so dealer will have to order and install a replacement. Ford 8 speed transmission.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
Driving very slowly into my 36 foot deep garage I took my right foot off the accelerator pedal when the 2021 Toyota Camry suddenly unintended accelerated forward 15 feet and crashed through the rear garage wall, the automatic brake didn't work,. Then with my foot on the brake pedal, it continued at high speed across 35 feet of concrete patio and came to rest on top of thick hedge with front whee... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
This Jeep gladiator has not started on several occasions. And is now stuck in our driveway not turning over the engine. This apparently is a known problem and has stranded my family. Has Also stopped all the electrical with the engine driving down the road when my husband was returning from work, this is a safety issue please respond.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
Since, I've owned it (new), there has only been 1 other time (XXX) when I am stopped at a red light, I go to accelerate at the green light, and my car has completely turned off. Requiring me to turn on my emergency lights on, then placing my car in park, and restart the car. The second time this happened was on [XXX], which prompted me to take my car to the VW dealership in Rockville, MD. The dea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
This is unacceptable almost every CHR I have heard of has this same problem and Toyota refused to take responsibility for it! There transmissions in these cars are horrible and need to be addressed. Every 80k the transmission need to be replaced. Us people who continuously have to buy new cars or new transmissions are suffering because Toyota refuses to fix the issue. Instead they slide it under t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
This is unacceptable almost every CHR I have heard of has this same problem and Toyota refused to take responsibility for it! There transmissions in these cars are horrible and need to be addressed. Every 80k the transmission need to be replaced. Us people who continuously have to buy new cars or new transmissions are suffering because Toyota refuses to fix the issue. Instead they slide it under t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
The key gets stuck and I can't remove the key; I can't take the key out and then the battery drains and car is dead.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
I was driving along the NJ Turnpike at approximately 65 miles an hour when the brake warning light started flickering on and off and then the brakes engaged. It was quick, as if I had stepped hard on the pedal. No vehicle was in front of me, but I was driving through the express EZ Pass lane. Later that same day, it happened again, but this time it was only as if someone tapped on the brakes. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Severe windshield cracking requiring replacement. 2 in 6 month period. 1st was November 2023. Extremely cold temperatures. Cracked directly above heater vents on both sides same time. I watched it go from outer lower edges and move all the way to the center, entire length of the shield. I did not see anything hit the windshield, but they were iced and snow covered. I felt the temperature differ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
On only 12K miles, rear breaks is generating squeaky sound and dealership informed that break pads need to be changed as it has only 2mm left which is very low for break pads to last.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Unknown it changed and I have not kept track of new or old details.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Cars frame is rotting out to the point it is not safe to drive. I was told being in a collision could cause catastrophic failure and the car is just turning 20 years old with 125,000 miles. Can’t get my money back and the car is otherwise is excellent condition.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Cars frame is rotting out to the point it is not safe to drive. I was told being in a collision could cause catastrophic failure and the car is just turning 20 years old with 125,000 miles. Can’t get my money back and the car is otherwise is excellent condition.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
June 2024, I received mail for safety recall notice re: 24S24/NHTSA 24V267. July 16, 2024, went to ford to have it fixed. Ford said everything works good. [XXX] @1450, Me and my son [XXX] old) drove to freeway in [XXX] and my car just suddenly stopped. No electrical power at all. Even the hazard lights doesnt work. Need to call 911 for safety. I was in the middle of the freeway for about 15 m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
Coolant bypass valve malfunction, leaking coolant, engine maintenance required sign pops up on dash around 60k miles
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
While driving at approximately 45mph, the car was suddenly dropped into "limp mode" which caused a rapid deceleration, loss of power, and required pulling onto the shoulder as the car refused to accelerate. In addition, the check engine light illuminated, along with warnings that the start / stop system was unavailable and to service the electronic throttle. Restarting the car did not fix the co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, exhaust fumes was detected inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact installed a carbon monoxide detector in the rear of the vehicle and was alerted by the carbon monoxide detector of carbon monoxide inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repair... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The car aggressively braked without warning. The braking sensor activated even though there was no vehicle in front of me.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the passenger’s side headlight was not working as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side headlamp needed to be replaced due a failure of the LED screen. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred approximately o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler 200. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to be shifted out of drive. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was not diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed VCT phaser, a failed cam shaft sensor, O2 sensors, and a failed catalytic converter sensor. The contact was informed that the VCT phaser, cam shaft sensor, O2 sensor, and catalytic converter sensor... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
The rear door latch does not latch and keep the door closed. There are other recalls for this issue on 2013 Ford Escapes but according to my specific VIN there is no recall. Those other recalls are NHTSA Campaign ID 20V331000 and 16V643000.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
The rear door latch does not latch and keep the door closed. There are other recalls for this issue on 2013 Ford Escapes but according to my specific VIN there is no recall. Those other recalls are NHTSA Campaign ID 20V331000 and 16V643000.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
The problem is with the Accelerator pedal. It malfunctions, and is also known as a 'Dead pedal' at different times without warning and could cause an accident if it happens at the wrong time, like making a turn and the car will not accelerate, or move, just getting the car to move . I checked with a dealer if they have had any of these type reports and there answer was no they had not. It is very... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
The problem is with the Accelerator pedal. It malfunctions, and is also known as a 'Dead pedal' at different times without warning and could cause an accident if it happens at the wrong time, like making a turn and the car will not accelerate, or move, just getting the car to move . I checked with a dealer if they have had any of these type reports and there answer was no they had not. It is very... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
The problem is with the Accelerator pedal. It malfunctions, and is also known as a 'Dead pedal' at different times without warning and could cause an accident if it happens at the wrong time, like making a turn and the car will not accelerate, or move, just getting the car to move . I checked with a dealer if they have had any of these type reports and there answer was no they had not. It is very... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileag... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
Nearly every time I park my car and shut it off a message pops up on the message board that says SHIFT TO PARK even though it is in park. I have to restart my car MULTIPLE times and shift to another gear and back into park before the message goes away. This has been happening for a couple of weeks but is getting more frequent.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
Nearly every time I park my car and shut it off a message pops up on the message board that says SHIFT TO PARK even though it is in park. I have to restart my car MULTIPLE times and shift to another gear and back into park before the message goes away. This has been happening for a couple of weeks but is getting more frequent.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and coming to a complete stop, the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnos... Read more
TESLA
MODEL 3
(2024) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
Jul 15, 2024
Incident date: May 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the passenger's side catalytic converter was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Bozard Ford Lincoln (540 Outlet Mall Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32084), where the passenger's side catalytic converter ... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2024
ABS light and warning bell on and sounding. Traction control light also on. Diagnostic shows error code c0020-01, ABS pump motor electrical failure. A canvass of every Dodge/Chrysler part supplier and all other possible parts suppliers including junk yards in the US and Canada revealed “no part (ABS Hydraulic Unit, 6834. 7099 AC) is available anywhere in the US or Canada. I was advised that i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
The auto shut off function while stopped has malfunctioned on a couple occasions. One was when stopped at a red light. The car would not start up again when letting off the gas. The vehicle was new to me and I didn't know how to fix the problem. Sitting there, even with hazards on, is dangerous as I could have been rear ended while trying to figure this out. I ended up having to restart the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
My vehicle started to show warning: Collision MitigationSystem Problem/ Road Departure Mitigation System Problem/ Adaptive Cruise Control Problem / Lane Keeping Assist Problem/ Auto High-Beam Problem. I took it back to Honda dealership and was told the Multipurpose Camera is damaged and needed to be changed. They asked if I have a vehicle accident and I told them I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ONE. I don... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
My vehicle started to show warning: Collision MitigationSystem Problem/ Road Departure Mitigation System Problem/ Adaptive Cruise Control Problem / Lane Keeping Assist Problem/ Auto High-Beam Problem. I took it back to Honda dealership and was told the Multipurpose Camera is damaged and needed to be changed. They asked if I have a vehicle accident and I told them I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ONE. I don... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The transmission has quite a bit of slop or play when placing it in park. I do not believe it could be parked safely in a residential driveway. Tranny knocks a little in low gears.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
Vehicle lost all power with no response from the accelerator pedal causing me to almost get killed on a two lane highway. I was able to somehow coast into the grass on the side of the highway
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
Oil pan and plug. Of the last 3 oil changes we are on our 2nd replacement for the oil pan & plug. So 2 of the 3 times they had to be replaced. Ridiculous! Never had this problem in 40 years of driving all kinds of vehicles.