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: Jul 1, 2025
Full brake system, Emissions System problem, and Service System malfunctioning, out of the blue. Factory Reset and System Updated performed with no improvement.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
There is a crack in the exhaust manifold and the exhaust smell is entering the cabin affecting driver and passengers' health. The problem has been confirmed by a Subaru dealer and an independent mechanic. There were no warning lights, I was made aware after routine maintenance by an independent mechanic. The same part has failed in multiple Subaru models: Recall WUJ-95 (SOA says my car is not cov... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
At approximately 3,000 miles, the engine began making a loud knocking noise that became progressively worse while driving. The truck was diagnosed as needing a complete engine replacement. No warning lights, no check engine light, nothing. For someone inexperienced with vehicles, you could easily be in big trouble on the highway and a potentially life threatening situation. My primary concern is ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
My strut bearings have been replaced several times in the drivers sides, my shock and strut has been replaced twice on the drivers side and now the passenger side is doing the same thing. The dealership tells me that there is nothing wrong but research shows this car has known suspension issues. My passenger side front has a loud metallic grinding sound when turning the wheel in park. I’m told t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle from a private seller on Facebook Marketplace, the vehicle was then sold to a third person. The contact was informed by the third owner that the mileage on the vehicle was incorrect. The contact obtained a vehicle history report and discovered the mileage discrepancy. At the time the co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. The contact stated that the door ajar warning light was constantly illuminated while the doors were securely closed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front passenger’s side occupant classification system sensor was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contact... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I purchased a brand new 2026 Nissan Sentra from McGavock Nissan Lubbock back in XXX. Not the base model but the fully loaded all bells and whistles model. At 9pm on Friday. XXX, after dark a truck carrying metal dropped some of his load. Although I tried to avoid it I did end up striking a piece of the metal while 2 hours from Lubbock. The metal sliced a tire open from the side. I went to the ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The vehicle suddenly lost motive power due to an engine/throttle control failure consistent with defects described in NHTSA Campaigns 26V081 and R25A8/R25A9/R25B1. It entered limp mode and became unable to accelerate. The vehicle is available for inspection. This created a safety risk because the vehicle was stranded in extreme heat for several hours with no access to water or shelter. I became o... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The vehicle suddenly lost motive power due to an engine/throttle control failure consistent with defects described in NHTSA Campaigns 26V081 and R25A8/R25A9/R25B1. It entered limp mode and became unable to accelerate. The vehicle is available for inspection. This created a safety risk because the vehicle was stranded in extreme heat for several hours with no access to water or shelter. I became o... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the message "Vehicle in Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly shifted into park(P) on two separate occasions. There was an abnormally loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V40200... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Long crank start. Loss of power. Stalling. Priming fuel system 3x before cranking results in normal start. Suspect low pressure fuel pump failure 115k km/ 70k miles
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking and locked up, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. A dealer or an independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
Have received notification many months ago that my car has a recall on the tire repair kit. Have been told it’s been back ordered for months. Have called multiple dealerships and being told the same thing. This is a safety issue and unacceptable at this point.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V829000 (Structure); however, parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera failed to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The rearview camera became intermittently inoperative. The contact stated that the intermittent failure made it difficult to safely reverse the vehicle while the rearview camera was inoperable. While reversing in a parking lot, the rearview camera became inoperative. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Front air bags did not deploy upon impact at approximately 40mph
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Hard shifting, Shuddering, clunking sound when shifting between drive and reverse. Was informed by Ken Ganley Chevy in Brookpark , Ohio that the valve body inside the 8speed transmission is faulty and is on a nationwide backorder.
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Our van is experiencing Auto Idle Stop failure to restart. We experienced it one time last month (June 2026) and then again 2 days ago. I also experienced it 2 summers ago in 2024. We noticed it seems to happen in the heat and when we have been driving a while. In 2024 and then June 2026, I was able to quickly turn off and restart the car. Two days ago, we were stuck at a busy intersection with th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Inside of door latch malfunctioned and my driver side door opened up while driving.
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
While day driving on a clearly marked interstate in slightly hazy weather from fires, the car suddenly, unprompted, steered to the left without any warning or any indicators going off. This caused the car traveling at highway speed to crash into a barrier wall, drive half way up before driver could regain control of the steering and then spun out across 4 lanes of traffic. Driver said cars lane a... Read more
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Children helping to unload groceries from trunk. 2 different kids have burnt their legs on exhaust pipe while leaning into car to reach.
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Chest clip won’t pull tight and tethered to pull on lower anchor malfunctions when you pull it is difficult to get tight
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Chest clip won’t pull tight and tethered to pull on lower anchor malfunctions when you pull it is difficult to get tight
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Driving down the road service eps light came on and went back off. Went to make a turn and the truck did not turn. The steering wheel would not turn
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Tailgate stays open; sensors seem to fail. It will work one day and not work on another day. My wife is short and handicapped and she can’t close it manually.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I have seen numerous complaints for this same issue. My 2021 Acadia with 31,600 miles failed to start when parked in garage. It turned over just fine but wouldn't fire as if it wasn't getting any fuel. I had it towed to my regular mechanic. He troubleshot it and told me it was the "Fuel Pump Power Control Module". He said he could replace it but it would have to be programmed by a GM dealer a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I was driving down the road and the car turns off. Everything turns off, no lights, no nothing and it won't crank again. And then I had to call a wrecker truck and the oil was on top of the motor and back of the tailpipe. I couldn't even get it out of the road. I am so thankful my granddaughter was not in there And I'm glad I wasn't on the interstate cuz if I was that would have been bad
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I started to hear a whining noise under acceleration so I asked Firestone to check it out when I dropped it off for a 100k mile service. They said it was the transmission beginning to fail. I researched online and saw that it is a very common and known problem with the Toyota chr CVT transmission. We went with Toyota because they are known for their reliability and here we are at 102k miles with w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
The skid plate came off. It’s fabric screwed in by metal so it rips off over time. I know and have seen many other Ford owners who have experienced this same problem. It’s a hazard and a concern that will keep occurring if you replace it with the same fabric and it’s costly to replace with a metal skid plate. It’s a manufacturing problem that should be recalled.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Honda sensing error codes started lighting up all of a sudden. My HRV has never been in any kind of minor or major accident. We bought it new back in 2019. It currently has 13424 miles. This error is unexplainable as we have maintained this car so thoroughly. This error is not safe for drivers as it causes confusion especially when it just suddenly pops out while driving.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Honda sensing error codes started lighting up all of a sudden. My HRV has never been in any kind of minor or major accident. We bought it new back in 2019. It currently has 13424 miles. This error is unexplainable as we have maintained this car so thoroughly. This error is not safe for drivers as it causes confusion especially when it just suddenly pops out while driving.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
I was driving on the interstate and the tread just separated from the sidewalks. 235/65R17. I didn’t hit anything. There was no damage to the tire. It just disintegrated.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
Two days after buying the car while on a trip to [XXX], while driving 70 miles per hour on an interstate using cruise control, the car quickly breaked and our speed went down to about 40. Scared us to death. We pulled off the side of the road to regroup and understand what just happened. We didn't understand and continued and stopped using cruise. We found a Hyundai dealer in [XXX] and went to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
my 2023 cadillac escalade esv, was having issues when it had about 50-60 k miles, when it was in park hen shift to reverse it would jerk all the time, also my engine started to act up as well, I took it to the cadillac dealer and like always could not identify the problem, when the had the recall or engine put thicker oil, like that was going to resolve the problem well my engine started to misfir... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
my 2023 cadillac escalade esv, was having issues when it had about 50-60 k miles, when it was in park hen shift to reverse it would jerk all the time, also my engine started to act up as well, I took it to the cadillac dealer and like always could not identify the problem, when the had the recall or engine put thicker oil, like that was going to resolve the problem well my engine started to misfir... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 4Matic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road until the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I am reporting a severe safety recall compliance failure and fraudulent reporting by an authorized dealership regarding a 2023 Audi electric vehicle. On May 30, 2024, under Repair Order 227719, the dealership officially certified to the NHTSA and Audi that Safety Recall 93U6 (Compact/Portable Charging System Cable) was fully completed. The dealership never actually removed or replaced the hazardou... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
2020 Ford Expedition MAX. Ford issued Safety Recall 26S48 / NHTSA 26V402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until Q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
On XXX and XXX, while driving on the highway, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete loss of motive power. Flashing warning lights appeared on the instrument cluster, accompanied by a safety warning message instructing the driver to pull over and "Check Hybrid System" immediately. This sudden, uncommanded drop in propulsion on active, high-speed roadways created an immediate safety hazard, for... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the driver’s and front passenger’s side seat belts failed to operate properly. The driver’s and front passenger’s side air bags warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V344000 (Seat Belts); and associated the failure with the recall. However, the part to do the recall rep... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2025) - LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Jul 16, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
My 2025 Kia Sportage PHEV, brand-new with ~750 Miles, was in a low-speed collision with a parked vehicle when the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system failed. I was pulling out of a parking spot from a complete stop. My foot was not on the accelerator; the vehicle moved forward under idle power as I prepared to brake. A parked vehicle was directly ahead. The FCA gave no audible warning... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
The rear passenger-side (second-row, right-side outboard) seatbelt warning system is defective, repeatedly triggering false "unbuckled" alarms even when a passenger is securely buckled in. This is a known manufacturing defect involving the occupant detection sensor inside the seat cushion frame, which sends intermittent, incorrect signals to the vehicle's computer. The defect presents a severe sa... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Engine experienced mass, sudden oil consumption with no warning of any sort, resulting in significant engine damage. Oil had been changed apx 800 miles prior to incident, and vehicle showed no signs of leaks or oil consumption following the oil change. No oil leaks or wetness were found around oil filter or drain plug. Vehicle drove perfectly fine one day, and when started to leave a store it bega... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Right side daytime running light went out. Confirmed by dealer and headlamp assembly was replaced.
Incident date: May 18, 2026
I own a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with recurring fuel-system and EVAP failures that I believe present a serious safety risk. On 12/9/2025, the vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power while I was driving in dense traffic on a busy expressway. The vehicle suddenly lost propulsion in the middle lane and slowed down to a near crawl, creating an immediate risk of being struck. The event wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
I own a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel that has experienced repeated high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures despite completion of the NHTSA HPFP safety recall. After the recall was performed, my vehicle developed the exact failure described in the recall. Metal contamination was found in the fuel system, requiring replacement of the HPFP and major fuel system components. Approximately 13,000 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the raised air intake partially detached from the vehicle. The contact believed that the VIN should be included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E102000 (Equipment, Structure) after the failure. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall and woul... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was covered under an unknown recall repai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was covered under an unknown recall repai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Forward facing Camera's: After vehicle was recalled for a refacing camera issue and repaired for that recall, now the forward facing camera does not work properly. When coming to stop or while stopped the forward facing camera's no longer work. They only come on when I get close to something. They also no longer read speed limit signs. When stopped at a cross walk if a child runs in front of the ... Read more