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: Jan 15, 2024
It started off as the can stalling occasionally when I came to a stop. Then it became more and more frequent. Video is available to see the RPM move and then drop to 0. I then have to restart the vehicle which causes a delay which other drivers are not patient about. They immediately want to go and I have to flash my hazards and restart the van. Mechanical issue is unknown by the mechanic and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The Airbag light is on and off randomly. The vehicle was taken into Honda where they set up a procedure that they have specifically for Airbag issues due to so many recalls. They told us the passenger side airbag qualifies for replacement under a Honda extended warranty and service bulletin. When it comes to the drivers side Airbag, Honda refuses to fix it under the warranty. The specific issue as... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
While driving and no other cars or objects around, emergency beeper notification sounded, all dashboard panel lights went red and emergency brakes engaged without warning in the middle of road at approximately 35mph causing vehicle to come to a sudden stop without warning
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 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 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 stated that while driving at approximately 60 M... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that the front driver's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The Forward Collision Avoidance feature independently activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. In addition, the contact was advised that the fee for the front driver's side air bag replacement would be pai... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to retract, causing the contact to have to manually put the seat belt in place. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times and progressed where the seat belt would not retract. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V098000 (Seat Belts) and the dealer was contacted, and it... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact then observed a loud noise emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle stalled. The contact exited the vehicle to perform an inspection and observed condensation underneath the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was rec... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
I took my vehicle to a local dealership to have the "auto stop start" system checked. I had a dashboard warning light indicating the system was not working correctly. No other warnings signals were displayed. The dealership performed a diagnostic check but found no problems with the "auto start stop system". The day after I picked up my car, I drove for ten miles and the car overheated. I contacte... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
I took my vehicle to a local dealership to have the "auto stop start" system checked. I had a dashboard warning light indicating the system was not working correctly. No other warnings signals were displayed. The dealership performed a diagnostic check but found no problems with the "auto start stop system". The day after I picked up my car, I drove for ten miles and the car overheated. I contacte... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
- Radiator has started to leak from the tops of both corners near the mounting. There is also a noticeable bend in the radiator causing the middle to sag. Inspection allowed on request. - My safety is put at risk because the coolant can leak onto the rear brake reducing stopping distance. It also can leak onto the rear tire reducing grip endangering my life and others on the road. It will also le... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
The vehicle, stopped while driving, overheating, no heat/ ac. It's winter, car stopped at night in an unknown location fory safety. Had it inspected by 2 different auto shops and was confirmed of the issue. Warning lights came on right before the car failed.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
While driving the car it randomly turns off and turns back on it also jerks initially. All lights on the dashboard turn off and back on, speakers make a loud BOOM sound! Have experienced the car not starting. Bought a new battery thinking that was the issue, it wasn't.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
While driving the car it randomly turns off and turns back on it also jerks initially. All lights on the dashboard turn off and back on, speakers make a loud BOOM sound! Have experienced the car not starting. Bought a new battery thinking that was the issue, it wasn't.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, there was a burnt hydraulic fluid odor inside the vehicle when the vehicle shuddered and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed, and the engine mount was replaced. The failure recurred; however, there was a rotten, sulfur like ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2022
I am writing to bring to your attention a potentially catastrophic accident involving our leased C40 vehicle that happened on [XXX], 3:30pm. (ID [XXX] ) On the above mentioned date, my husband, [XXX] , was parking the C40 in a school parking lot to pick up our grandchild. He experienced an alarming episode of unintended acceleration. Despite his efforts to control the vehicle, the car lurched ou... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 28, 2022
Unknown the check engine light comes on supposedly is the active shutter on the front is malfunctioning
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The forward collision avoidance system which controls the automatic emergency braking is showing as unavailable. This is after the parking brake warning light comes on and the brake master cylinder or BCM or both makes clicking noises after driving.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The forward collision avoidance system which controls the automatic emergency braking is showing as unavailable. This is after the parking brake warning light comes on and the brake master cylinder or BCM or both makes clicking noises after driving.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
With this vehicle when driving on highway or interstate once you go past about 40 miles the transmission begins to overheat and when it reaches a temperature of approximately 245° it will kick down into limp mode causing the vehicle to suddenly slow down in front of other traffic. You have to get over to the side of the road and let the transmission cool down before you can continue at a safe pac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure but informed the contact that the transmission control module had been reset. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
GM issued a special coverage warranty for 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts that had a BECM failure. However, they did not include all of the Volts. We have a 2016 that has a catastrophic BECM failure. The car won't start and the only indicator was the day before it said the vehicle didn't charge. This appears to be the same issue, but Chevrolet did not include our model. We have about 87k miles and are o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side headlight failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the passenger's side taillight was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the front passenger's side headlight needed to be ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 experienced a failure. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving to the emergency room at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle began to lose motive power and the contact had to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, there was a knocking noise coming from the engine. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the emergency room, and after leav... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Faulty steering column issue
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Error message displays confirming: “Front left safety restraint system default” Error code displayed: RCM_a021 Service is required but Tesla is charging for this safety issue. Researched this and other drivers are reporting same issue.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
> What component or system failed or malfunctioned. Brake fluid line defect resulted in total loss of braking power. Line spraying brake fluid in engine compartment. >Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes, but it is scheduled to be worked on in two days. >How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Total loss of braking power. Fortunately, the problem manifest in our... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The console on the dash that shows the radio and back up camera view very frequently has white lines running through it. You can not see the screen. As a safety issue, you also can not see the camera view when trying to back up. It is a safety issue. I'm seeing on vlogs that many people have this same complaint.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
On January 26th, 2024, the 2017 Kia Sorento was parked outside in an uncovered parking lot (in the rain) for about 8 hours with the ignition off when suddenly the tow hitch harness caught fire and I saw the smoke coming from the car. The fire department was called and we were able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher before they arrived. Once they arrived, I notified the fire department of... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
My 2012 Toyota Camry has started shutting off If I do a hard stop or quick stop by pressing on the breaks. My car will be on, in drive and completely turn off. The lights on the dashboard will all flash on then it turns off. I will have to quickly put the car in park, take the key out then put the key back in and turn the car on for it to start again. There are no warning lights that appear on th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
Back number was replaced
Crash
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
On [XXX] while traveling at highway speed my Chevrolet volt abruptly lost propulsion and an alert was displayed to pull over and turn car off. I was on [XXX] in California a 4 lane highway forced to cross 3 lanes of traffic at an exceptionally slow speed in heavy traffic. It is a miracle a crash did not occur. Fortunately other drivers were aware and able to stop or quickly change lanes. AAA to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
On [XXX] while traveling at highway speed my Chevrolet volt abruptly lost propulsion and an alert was displayed to pull over and turn car off. I was on [XXX] in California a 4 lane highway forced to cross 3 lanes of traffic at an exceptionally slow speed in heavy traffic. It is a miracle a crash did not occur. Fortunately other drivers were aware and able to stop or quickly change lanes. AAA to... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
ON [XXX], while driving my second Tesla Model X on [XXX] from Carson City back to Reno at the speed of 79 mph on Autopilot, the same sudden loud alarming situation occurred, with 1. park Assist unavailable 2. Steering assist reduced 3. Adaptive ride control degraded 4. Traction control disabled 5. Stability control disabled 6. Lane departure avoidance features unavailable 7. Automatic emergency Br... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
ON [XXX], while driving my second Tesla Model X on [XXX] from Carson City back to Reno at the speed of 79 mph on Autopilot, the same sudden loud alarming situation occurred, with 1. park Assist unavailable 2. Steering assist reduced 3. Adaptive ride control degraded 4. Traction control disabled 5. Stability control disabled 6. Lane departure avoidance features unavailable 7. Automatic emergency Br... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
Engine with rod bearing failure occurred at 108k miles. No check engine light warning came on to notify with engine knock sound as the only indicator that there was a mechanical issue. Regular oil changes have been done on the vehicle however oil levels were low when checked on the day of engine failure (no low oil light came on). 3.3 L V6 engine is not covered under Hyundai’s KSDS Software Upd... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
A-pillar applique trim clip attachments are not properly engaged due to improper assembly or repair.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The passenger side rear view mirror stop auto tilting when in reverse, even with the switch in left or right position. I also cannot manually adjust said mirror up or down, only left and right. At one point said mirror tilted downwards when reverse selected and never came back up. At first the issue seem intermittent, but now it doesn’t work at all.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The passenger side rear view mirror stop auto tilting when in reverse, even with the switch in left or right position. I also cannot manually adjust said mirror up or down, only left and right. At one point said mirror tilted downwards when reverse selected and never came back up. At first the issue seem intermittent, but now it doesn’t work at all.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Window regulator is not working in all the Windows I spend more 1000 dolars just to fixed the front ones still waiting to have money to fix the back ones the parts are made from cheap material this should be a recall
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The instrument panel in front of the driver is black. I’m unable to see the speed limit, warnings, safety or collision warnings, etc. The vehicle is not making any noise or beeping to allude to the fact that there might be an issue but the Kia app is stating that there is an issue. I have used the vehicle yesterday 3/23/24 with no issues and when I went to drive this morning (3/24/24) it’s not... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
On March 15, while driving on a busy road our vehicle STOPPED from catastrophic engine failure without warning which put my family and I instantly in danger and nearly got us killed. Due to the high traffic where it stopped we were scared to stay in the vehicle and also scared to exit it .. so we contacted the police before calling a tow truck. When the police arrived, they parked a car in front ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
I am reaching out to bring to your attention a significant manufacturing flaw in the Mercedes GL450 model, which poses a severe risk to both vehicle functionality and passenger safety. The issue pertains to water infiltration into the battery compartment situated beneath the front passenger seat and concealed beneath the carpet. Even minor rainfall or streetwater has been found to breach this comp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
Vehicle: 2017 RAM 2500 6.7L Cummins purchased new in March 2018 with 300 miles on it from Phoenix, Arizona RAM dealership. Incident Date: [XXX]: The frame broke on both sides just behind the crew cab while traveling on a road at 5 mph. No rust present, no truck bed load. RAM dealership in Kingman, Arizona states on [XXX], through a diagnostic examination of this vehicle on behalf of my insur... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Driving at approximate 25 mph when three warnings came on simultaneously and the vehicle abruptly lost power and I was required to pull off the road. The vehicle could not go any faster than 15 mph. Fortunately I was not running on the highway when this occurred. The three warnings are as follows. 1. SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING 2. POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION / REDUCED POWER 3. PRE-COLLISION ASSIST ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 29, 2024
At about 14,000 miles, started experiencing issues with steering wheel. It is harder to keep a straight line. On gradual turns, steering “sticks” and doesn’t return to natural position, therefore, overcorrection is needed causing vehicle to jerk. If steering goes back to “normal”, due to initial overcorrection, staying in lane is hard potentially causing a wreck or turning vehicle upside... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Air bag lights it’s on, I’m already went to a shop and they put the scanner and said that there’s no air bag And transmission go out with 78xxx miles