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: Apr 13, 2024
The vehicle started sputtering and the engine shut off in traffic, I was able to pull to the side of the road. Had I been on the interstate and not a 2 lane road I would have run a high risk of becoming an obstacle to traffic and being hit. Upon later inspection inside of the ignition starter / kill switch assembly on the right hand handlebar there was a small piece of plastic that had broken off ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2024
The vehicle started sputtering and the engine shut off in traffic, I was able to pull to the side of the road. Had I been on the interstate and not a 2 lane road I would have run a high risk of becoming an obstacle to traffic and being hit. Upon later inspection inside of the ignition starter / kill switch assembly on the right hand handlebar there was a small piece of plastic that had broken off ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2024
When in REVERSE the passenger mirror dips to give a better view of the curb. Once the vehicle is taken out of REVERSE the mirror does not return to the original position. I have had the vehicle in the dealership and they say they cannot reproduce the error. I have brought it in with the mirror in the dipped position. I have shown them videos of the mirror as it dips and then as it fails to ret... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Reoccurring check engine light for the omissions system. Damage to the catalytic converter, diagnostic codes. Poor gas mileage and abnormal engine combustion. Oil is burning extremely fast in engine, having to get oil changes more frequently. Incident where vehicle was driving, came to a complete stop and would not accelerate in the middle of heavy traffic. Had to replace all 4 fuel injections and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
Went on a trip with the vehicle. When returning to home put the vehicle in the garage. Came out the next day and the Garage smelled like a gas can. Looked all around could not find signs of the gas. Got in the truck and was overwhelmed by gas smell. Moved the vehicle out of the garage. Googled the issue and found 170 pages of people with the same issue. The engine is filling with gas and overfilli... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
Went on a trip with the vehicle. When returning to home put the vehicle in the garage. Came out the next day and the Garage smelled like a gas can. Looked all around could not find signs of the gas. Got in the truck and was overwhelmed by gas smell. Moved the vehicle out of the garage. Googled the issue and found 170 pages of people with the same issue. The engine is filling with gas and overfilli... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sun struck the solar panel used to charge the battery, and the surge from the battery entered the pigtail going through the truck, and disconnected the brake module, causing it to become disengaged from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the camper and vehicle dealer who both stated th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sun struck the solar panel used to charge the battery, and the surge from the battery entered the pigtail going through the truck, and disconnected the brake module, causing it to become disengaged from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the camper and vehicle dealer who both stated th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra LD. The contact stated the vehicle experienced jerking and shaking. The contact also stated when the accelerator pedal was applied, the vehicle made a loud noise and lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a transmission flush and an alignment were performed. However, the contact stated the failure persisted... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
I started noticing what I refer to as a "lurch" when driving. It happened a few times when I was driving around 35mph, so I thought I was imagining it. Then when I was driving on the highway on 4/14, I felt like I could not accelerate. When I looked at the tachometer, it was jumping between 2 to 3, and as it jumped, the car lurched. This past week I have noticed this same feeling of not being abl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to a local d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was difficult to start and there was dust coming out of the vents. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, there was an oil leak coming from the timing chain cover. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated; ho... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns s 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the battery was jumpstarted. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Ga... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
I have a 2017 Mazda 3 with exactly 59,454 miles. I was driving my car into work and a warning came on saying coolant temperatures high pull over immediately. I feel my safety was at risk since I was on a highway and my car lost power and would not allow me to accelerate. Loaded the car on a flatbed to bring into a Mazda dealership. I had oil leaking into my coolant. They diagnosed it as a cracked ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
Unknown. Original owner.24,000 miles. When car turned off, shift to park message occurs. Required 10 on off cycles to turn car off. Dangerous since could be draining battery.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
Unknown. Original owner.24,000 miles. When car turned off, shift to park message occurs. Required 10 on off cycles to turn car off. Dangerous since could be draining battery.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
See attached document for complaint,
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
Noticed an oil smell when driving the vehicle, slightly premature to when it was due for an oil change. Engine was emitting light blue smoke when parked after driving for more than 20 minutes. Took the car to a Mazda dealership to get serviced two days after noticing the issue and was told that the cylinder head was cracked and needed to be replaced. There was oil leaking from the vehicle, which I... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The recurring malfunctions in my vehicle's front screen system have repeatedly endangered me, especially when it suddenly blacks out while navigating unfamiliar roads or during backing maneuvers. Additionally, the faulty front vehicle sensor has caused my vehicle to halt abruptly, even when no obstacles are present. Despite numerous visits to the dealer, the issues persist, and their repeated requ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
Car started beeping and information center was flashing and drive indicator was flashing . At another time car shifted in reverse and would not move. Humming sound coming from front right wheel at 40mph and would not go away until until 60mph. Was told it was the all wheel drive system.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The VIN wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
I took my vehicle into the Kia dealership here in Visalia, California. The first time I took my vehicle in, it was due to oil consumption. I was burning off over 1qt of oil every 700-1000 miles. This being a concern I asked what should I do next. When this happens the dealership recommends a fresh oil change by them, then they tag your oil cap, dip stick, and drian plug so its not to be tampered w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
P052e positive crankcase ventilation regularly valve
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
My vehicle has a severe launch shudder in 1st gear from a stop, and while driving along when I’m in 4th gear, or during the 2-3 upshift or 3-2 downshift. It shakes the entire suv so bad I have to stop accelerating. The vehicle becomes uncontrollable which is a major safety risk.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
After parking on a slope, front of car uphill, slope of about 15-20 degrees, placing car in park, the car would roll back once out of car. It happened once and went up against another car, minor scrape, but I was almost pinned. I moved the car to a different spot with similar slope, it happed again. The wheels were rotating, had to jump in passenger side and push hand onto brake. It had happened o... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The engine started exhibiting consumption of oil and knocking around 84,000mi had the car towed to the shop. Don’t have much faith they will do anything even though it is a certified preowned.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
I got an oil change since it was due then “P052E” It’s a very common issues with the engine first time it’s happened at 66K miles.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
Driver seatbelt- Randomly releases from buckle when driving. Happened about 3-4 times already.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
Brake switch failure contributed to intermitten braking resulting in near crashes
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the instrument panel turned off and was completely black. The contact stated that the driver assistance systems and the speedometer were unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
We drove this vehicle to a family event in chicago. We pulled the vehicle out of the parking garage and pulled into a downtown street in front of a hotel to load the vehicle up. Once the family was loaded the vehicle up the car would not start it had 700 miles when it failed. we were stuck on a busy street trying to start the car. I called roadside assitance and someone came out with a jump p... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
The rear window on the Cascada is known to separate from the convertible top material, likely due to an insufficient amount of primer used during the assembly process, which creates stress points allowing the material to separate from the glass. Once this bond has started to fail, it is eventually going to lead to the glass completely falling off the car. It is likely that the glass separating cou... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
My Kia Sorento 2011 in November 2023 started having the instrument cluster warning lights flashing, abs warning light, tire pressure light and sometimes the check engine light. There is also a very strong burning or melting smell when the car is on. I was very scared to drive my car and have had to find ways to get to work when I received the notice from Kia that there was a recall SC284. About HE... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
Some bad guys tried to steal my 2017 Hyundai Elantra. They broke the ignition from the steering column to gain access and try to start the vehicle. This is the same issue that still happening after 3 years from the Kia/hyundai boys ticktock hack. The federal gov need to intervine. This a very concerning safety issue. The cars are getting to easy to steal. We as consumers can do as much we can, but... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
The car continues to smell like coolant and burns excessive oil. It has been taken in for service. Repairs have been attempted but problem still exists. On one occasion, service records indicate a test drive when the mileage remained the same. The oil consumption test I do not believe was performed correctly as I did not get the specific data metrics or points regarding starting point of measureme... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
Complete engine failure while driving on highway putting the safety of my family(including 2 young kids) at risk. We were able maneuver to the side of the road. We were stranded on side of highway in a very rural area at night with no power(no hazard lights, or heat) for a while. Car towed to Nissan dealership, who stated a new engine is needed. Paper work is available. For history, a new timing b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
I HAVE A CVT TRANSMISSION IS MY CAR, AND ITS TERRIBLY SCARY. IT SHIFTS IF IT WANT TOO I TRY TO SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY HOPING TO HELP IT SHIFT IT STILL DONT I HAVE TO COME ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP. I GET OFF THE GAS CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND OR STALLS AND SHAKES AND THEN TAKES OFF. TRY TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR LITERALLY GOES NO WHERE THAN MINS LATER IT JUST TAKES OFF WITHOUT FOOT BEING ON GAS PED... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
Engine seized at 82000 miles stranding me in the passing lane of Interstate 10. Was nearly hit by a truck.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he noticed that the rear tires were abnormally damaged. The contact stated that upon further inspection, he noticed that the subframe was severely corroded and fractured. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
I took my 2023 Ford Maverick to the Dealership- Larry H Miller Lakewood CO. to get outstanding recalls address on [XXX]. Recalls handled were for Reprogram powertrain control module, turn signal outage detection failure, and software calibration update. I had no issues or concerns with my new vehicles performance or safety up to that point. [XXX] I was driving with my 2 children in the truck on t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
Unknown but it threw the abs light on and off and then the oil change light come on and it stared ticking after it shut off and then I turned it on and the ticking got worse and louder and steering was cliking so I parked it and it would not go over 20 mph or pull a hill so It’s been parked ever since
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
Door won't unlock / open from inside. Got stuck a few times, had to turn off and on the car for doors to re-engaged electronically. Nothing in manual reflects manual emergency open doors. What happens in the event of power failure or dead battery?
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V111000 (Visibility) and 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. An unknown local dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
There is an open recall and a remedy was released about 2 weeks ago. I have attempted to get this fixed but the dealership stated the manufacturer will only allow each dealership to order two parts at a time. There is an extensive waitlist resulting in the issue to continue without fixing it in a timely manner and continuing to put mine and my family’s lives at risk as well as other motorists.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
I have a 2017 Acura MDX that had around 98k while I was driving down the highway at 65 mph all lights came on the dash and lost acceleration would not go over 45 MPH on a very busy highway. Had to have the vehicle towed per dealership- towed to Jay Wolfe Acura, Overland Park, KS. They said engine needed to be replaced due to the miss fire of rod knocking. There was no other option for replacing ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
My car is over heating, having trouble starting, shacking, and blowing white smoke out of the tailpipe. It's saying mis fire so I replaced the spark plus and it's still doing it.