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: Dec 15, 2023
Rear window leaking
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
My drivers door will only open about 6 inches. I have to crawl across the console to drive. I took it to ford dealer who said it was a ford issue but I was a few months beyond my 36 month warrenty so it wasn't covered. He also said not to roll down the window or it might shatter.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The car drove itself away without being summoned. It was parked in a parking lot, it reversed itself and started driving and stopped at next stop sign. Someone alerted me thankfully and I went to retrieve the car from stop sign.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
I was driving the car home from work and all of the warning lights on the dashboard came on- the check engine light, tire pressure light, traction control light, brake warning light, and the park emergency brake light. The "park" sign and p/r/d light lights were flashing. The car would not accelerate past 35 miles without it kicking back. I was terrified to drive the car on the interstate due to ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
Recently, after approximately 4000 miles of driving, my steering has become “sticky.” When trying to make small adjustments in direction, my steering wheel gets “stuck” and requires more force than normal to make the steering correction. This extra force causes a greater change in direction than intended. This past week while traveling on an interstate with wet roads…this problem pres... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
Transmission Stirring pump Spark plugs
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
I have a Kia Sportage Ex 2013 and this motor vehicle has a fire and explotion in the road.
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Feb 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the vehicle was not obtaining the correct fuel mileage. The contact stated that, while tracking the mpg, the vehicle was averaging 15.7 mpg. The difference was approximately twenty percent less than the sticker mpg. The contact stated that the mpg sticker stated that the mpg would be 20 mpg. The contact stated that when the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my new Tesla Model Y RWD, which I received on December 3, 2023. I have encountered two major issues with the vehicle and the customer service. First, I was promised by Tesla representatives that I would receive six months of free Supercharging after delivery, as part of a referral program. However, this offer has not been activated yet. When I conta... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
I had to replace the Front Upper Control Arm Assemblies (Left and Right). As part of this (I believe) I also had to replace Lower Lateral Links (Left and Right) and the Front Lower Compliance Links (Left and Right). My car had 53,536 miles on it at the time (so just outside the warranty). The total cost was $1,259.63.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
ABS and traction control light comes up randomly. Sometimes comes on then off with a chime each time rapidly for the entire time the truck is driven. Or the lights will come on and just stay on. At times the brakes become hard to stop the vehicle. Also does not allow the cruise control to work. I use this truck to haul goose neck 8 ton dump trailer and a 36' fifth wheel not knowing if the tru... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
MDPS component in steering column is making noise due to premature failure.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
Truck leaks water from rear windshield, water runs down to receiver module for the key FOBs and causes truck not to turn off. Leaks from headliner into safety eq on windshield causing GPS issues, visability as water runs down inside of windshield. RAM will not fix under warranty. truck is well withing 3yr /36K miles
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
Without any previous warnings, the car stopped in the middle of the drive. Then the battery warning turned on, after trying to turn it back on.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
Without any previous warnings, the car stopped in the middle of the drive. Then the battery warning turned on, after trying to turn it back on.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Recall items not available
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
At only 30,000 miles, the car began exhibiting terrible creaking sounds during colder temperatures whenever the suspension was active. Upon inspection, a Tesla technician claimed the ball joints on the upper control arms were “worn” and bushings on the lateral links were “torn”. Looking online, it’s clear this was due to defensive design/manufacture, as it’s happened to numerous vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Steering wheel gets very stiff and while driving and I do not feel safe driving my car. I already took it in to the dealership for a diagnostic but they said everything is fine. They didn’t repair anything and my car is still having the same issue.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
While driving on the interstate going 70mph, my Ford EcoSport's Engine oil pump light illuminated. Shortly after, the car began to slow down even though I was attempting to accelerate. This put me at a safety danger due to being in front of another vehicle who was also going around the same speed as I was. I was fortunate enough to be able to get off the road without getting in danger. When taken ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
My 2022 Volkswagen Taos 4 motion around 29,000 miles November 8, 2023 overheat warning light on, call toll to dealership results of head gasket problem part wait time at least 2 months but dealership offers free loaner car, but unfortunately dealership called me on December 29th the part not available until April that I have to return my loaner car that Volkswagen not available and I have drive m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
The steering sticks. I have taken it to the dealer three times and they can’t find anything wrong. It happens a lot when I’m driving but they haven’t felt it on a short test drive. It’s happens frequently, just not enough for the dealer to notice.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
In November, the engine stalled at a light when it was raining and the wipers were on. Warning noises were activated and the console read "steering Power Low." The car had to be pushed out of the intersection by other drivers. After a half hour the car was able to be restarted . The Car taken to dealership and they ran diagnostics on it and declared that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Tesla issues encountered with model X 2016: 1). Bought a demo car with a new car warranty, the car is supposed to be checked and verified that it meets safety guidelines, and certain standards, a).the car had a yellowish tinge had to get it buffed and detailed to look true pearl white cost $400 b). my tires were so bad the tire shop told me they are unsafe to drive so had to get them replaced... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
I AM WRITING TO REPORT URGENT SAFETY CONCERNS WITH MY 2018 TESLA MODEL 3, SOFTWARE VERSION 2023.44.30.5.1, AFTER THE NHTSA RECALL ON AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CONCERNS WITH THE ADAS / AUTO-PILOT / AUTO-STEERING FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL THE NHTSA REQUIRED CHANGES IN DECEMBER 2024. WHILE DRIVING ON I-405 IN GARDEN GROVE, CA, MY VEHICLE WHILE IN ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
I AM WRITING TO REPORT URGENT SAFETY CONCERNS WITH MY 2018 TESLA MODEL 3, SOFTWARE VERSION 2023.44.30.5.1, AFTER THE NHTSA RECALL ON AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CONCERNS WITH THE ADAS / AUTO-PILOT / AUTO-STEERING FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL THE NHTSA REQUIRED CHANGES IN DECEMBER 2024. WHILE DRIVING ON I-405 IN GARDEN GROVE, CA, MY VEHICLE WHILE IN ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
I AM WRITING TO REPORT URGENT SAFETY CONCERNS WITH MY 2018 TESLA MODEL 3, SOFTWARE VERSION 2023.44.30.5.1, AFTER THE NHTSA RECALL ON AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CONCERNS WITH THE ADAS / AUTO-PILOT / AUTO-STEERING FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL THE NHTSA REQUIRED CHANGES IN DECEMBER 2024. WHILE DRIVING ON I-405 IN GARDEN GROVE, CA, MY VEHICLE WHILE IN ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
Almost all body parts including doors and windows have alignment gaps resulting in air leaks into and out of the car creating too much wind noise and very had to keep warm in winter and cool in summer thus overburdening the heating and cooling system causing excessive wear and tear
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
Sticky steering at highway speeds. Seems to be worse when turning the wheels slightly to the right. Started right before 12k miles.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Display MCU1 is unsafe or at end of life and unsafe locks up goes dark and unresponsive for long periods of time, unable to drive sometimes my my car is under warranty either they should fix it or upgrade it, I was told I need to upgrade it but my car is still under new car bumper to bumper warranty either fix it or replace it, if MCU1 doesn’t work then replace it with MCU2 and honor the new c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Display MCU1 is unsafe or at end of life and unsafe locks up goes dark and unresponsive for long periods of time, unable to drive sometimes my my car is under warranty either they should fix it or upgrade it, I was told I need to upgrade it but my car is still under new car bumper to bumper warranty either fix it or replace it, if MCU1 doesn’t work then replace it with MCU2 and honor the new c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Certain toyota models between 2012-2014 had a defective software and torque converter which if left alone, will end up ruining your transmission. Toyota decided to extend the warranty to 150k miles or 8 years, whichever comes first to fix this issue instead of actually recalling every affected car and performing the software update + torque converter replacement. Dealers were instructed to only pe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Car sensors don’t seem to work hits other cars and doors close hard on a human before stopping very unsafe for a child
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
The power steering has failed to work on multiple occasions and I’m worried that it may happen during a tight manuver and possibly cause a wreck. This is very dangerous. When this power steering stops working it is way harder to turn than a car with no power at all.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
I am not sure what is wrong with my Hyundai Santa Fe 2016 because it is at the dealer at this moment waiting for a diagnostic test. I started the vehicle and heard a revving-up noise. I went to the doctor and on my way back to the house I accelerated and heard a rattling sound and the oil light, the check engine light, and the battery light all came on. The car slowed down and when I tried to acc... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
My oil filter housing failed at about 53,000 miles. While driving to work I got a low coolant warning and pulled over to see coolant dumping out of my car. The low coolant warning only comes on when the expansion tank is almost completely empty which can lead to oil and coolant mixing and overheating which will lead to premature engine damage without any early warning signs. I’ve read through fo... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
During regular use of the radio and head unit, at times the touch screen or controls, dials, buttons will be unresponsive. The Android Auto software tends to malfunction and will randomly disconnect and the audio will blast, full volume at the driver with the inability to control the volume other than to pull over and turn the vehicle off or manually power down the radio. This has happened on seve... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Sunroof exploded while traveling at highway speeds causing glass to fall into the cabin. No impact from rocks, just exploded out of nowhere. Massive loud explosions sound
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contacted stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and steering the vehicle to the right around a traffic circle, the power steering functionality failed. The contact was able to pullover and stop the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated no warning light was illuminat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
Since purchasing this vehicle in January of 2023, it has been to the dealer three times to repair a failed blind spot monitoring system and rear cross traffic alert system due to corroded pins in the connectors of the sensors. According to the dealer, this is due to the connector utilizing only four of eight pins which leaves four pins unused and open to corrosion. On the third trip in, the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
AC condenser leak, no cold air blowing. Only 82,539 miles. I took my truck to Chevy and was told about the issue and the cost amount to replace. I asked if that’s under warranty or recall. Chevy dealer told me no. Because there haven’t been too many complaints about it, so it’s not yet a recall. Then the service person then proceed to tell me the repair cost amount which was around $1100. An... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 40 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond, causing his wife to make the left turn at 40 MPH uphill. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated as his wife was driving uphill. The contact stated that his wife then pulled into a driveway... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
My airbag light stays on and I heard if the air bag gis off it could have metal in it..that don't sound like something I want to happen...also this cars power go's out and back on its scary when your driving down the road.it only has 141k miles something is wrong...
Incident date: Dec 23, 2023
1. The plastic piece attached to the outer section of the back passenger seats of the 2024 VW Atlas is designed where the seat belt gets easily tangled in the seat tract, allowing the seatbelt to get caught and rendering the seat inoperable. This component should be available for inspection upon request. 2. This design flaw poses a risk by potentially causing the seatbelt to get caught, rendering ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
On the evening of 12/20/2023 suddenly the loss of engine oil pressure with an illuminated oil pressure warning lamp came on and the engine started knocking loudly. Then as we pulled out of traffic into a parking lot spot it died and would not restart. We were in heavy traffic and if we were not able to exit as quickly as we did our family would have been stranded and blocking in the heavy traffic... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
This year I was charged $650 to replace both upper control arms, lower suspension links that I now find out was a known quality problem with Tesla. No recalls were issued despite this being a safety concern for drivers since it affects steering. I read that Tesla told service employees to tell customers that they had "abused" their car and that was the reason for the failure. I drive on perfect... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
When driving the 22 civic sport the steering wheel seems to get stuck in a position and you have to fight it to get unstuck which is severely unsafe I have brought the vehicle to the dealer months back and they told me nothing is wrong I became very frustrated because my wife drives this vehicle to work and brings our boys to school and there safety is at jeopardy daily it’s a brand new vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
When driving the 22 civic sport the steering wheel seems to get stuck in a position and you have to fight it to get unstuck which is severely unsafe I have brought the vehicle to the dealer months back and they told me nothing is wrong I became very frustrated because my wife drives this vehicle to work and brings our boys to school and there safety is at jeopardy daily it’s a brand new vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence and while attempting to leave, the vehicle had no electrical power. The contact took the battery to be tested and the battery tested to be in proper working orde... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Model y Autopilot Update To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model Y’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over one year, I have generally found the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X4. The contact stated that while his wife was at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to approximately 90 mph and crashed into a garage door that was twenty feet away. There were no reported injuries, but the driver and rear-seat child occupant went to the hospital for medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. There was no reported fire.... Read more
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