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 1, 2024
My antitheft alarm keeps going off and on. Yesterday my info screen went black had no back up cameras no way to control any of the car panel instruments. That was 1-26-24. Sometimes the info screen will blink off and on as I’m driving. It acts like there’s a short or something somewhere. My door locks do not always respond sometimes the doors unlock themselves. That has been going on for th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
I purchased a used vehicle from Victory Dodge Dealship in Kansas City three days later, the ABS traction control all my sensors, cruise control four-wheel-drive locked out on me, kicked out the cruise control on the highway was not sure what was going on someone behind me almost ran into me thought something was wrong with the truck, so I went to pull over slowly hitting the brakes like I normally... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Battery turned off car was really load when i started it and later when drive the car didnt slow down like normal
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirm... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
while running car warning light came on and vehicle stalls. Car wont go faster than 10 to 15 mph. This happen 4 times withing 5 months of purchase. First time took it to dealer and they were unable to find any problems. One more call dealer and dealer rep. said it probably was sensor or windshield camera but did not fix the problem. It happen again 2 times and took it to dealer and dealer sai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
The vehicle’s infotainment system automatically displays the rear view backup camera, as expected, when placed in reverse. However, this can be overridden by selecting the X in the upper right of the screen or by selecting another function such as the APP button. The only way to get the backup camera to display again is to put the car in a different gear/park and then back into reverse. Not bein... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
The vehicle’s infotainment system automatically displays the rear view backup camera, as expected, when placed in reverse. However, this can be overridden by selecting the X in the upper right of the screen or by selecting another function such as the APP button. The only way to get the backup camera to display again is to put the car in a different gear/park and then back into reverse. Not bein... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the passenger’s side door failed to lock securely. The contact was concerned that the door would open while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that when the gear shifter was shifted from park to drive, the vehicle jerked excessively. In addition, the contact stated that while driving uphill, the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine service and the dealer was made awar... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
I took ownership of the vehicle on 12/23/23 and Had a Drivetrain and High Voltage warning on 1/13/24. Dealer took vehicle on 1/18/24 with approximately 925 miles and returned vehicle on 1/22/24. On 1/25/24 I now have a check engine light on. I am not sure what can be done to fix this, but I am very concerned that this will be an ongoing issue with no resolution.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
The power divider lockout failed and the thru shaft broke. The driver was pulling onto the high way and heard a loud bang, there was a loss in power. The dealer confirmed the problem and all work was done under warranty. There were no warning lights
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
The power divider lockout failed and the thru shaft broke. The driver was pulling onto the high way and heard a loud bang, there was a loss in power. The dealer confirmed the problem and all work was done under warranty. There were no warning lights
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
Low beam headlights have gradually dimmed over time to the point that they provide minimal lighting to the roadway and often appear to oncoming drivers as only daytime running lights (they often flash their headlights at me to tell me to turn mine are, except they already are on). This is a widely occurring issue with 2013-2015 RDXs as evidenced by many numerous consumer statements publicly viewab... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
Safety issue: "Engine Stopped/Started: Due to Steering Power Low" Yesterday, it was heavy rain. My new 2022 RAV4 shut down and would not start due to the warning sign "Steering Power Low." I restarted a few times, but the whole car was jerking and the rpm's were fluttering up and down. The yellow check engine light and the orange warning signs, followed by an exclamation point, came on, along wit... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
Multiple error lights come on at various times, including but not limited to road departure mitigation warning, vehicle stability assist problem, hill start assist problems, brake hold system problem, power steering system problem. Upon first dealer inspection no problem was identified. On follow up after ongoing recurrence of the issue, dealer found multi purpose camera internal fault along with... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The steering coupler is damaged and is causing unstable steering while driving. It’s causing the wheel to be wobbly with uncontrolled pulling which causes the car to suddenly pull to either side of the lane abruptly when driving. It is causing issues with the stabilizer bar and severe uneven wear of the tires; the right front passenger wheel feels like it will fly off at any time. The car isn... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
I have received multiple recall notifications for problems with air bag on the passenger side, and a fuel tank that Suzuki says may crack. It would be great to have these things taken care of, but the repair providers that Suzuki has authorized are both 3 HOURS away! That means 6 hours total driving time, which is quite unreasonable. Does the NHTSA have any authority to either 1) get Suzuki to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
Steering wheel feels very heavy and breaks response little bit slow.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
The liftgate latch failed recently. It would not secure, thus causing a safety issue. Anyone or anything could have fallen out of the vehicle. The latch assembly cost $500, and another $197 for installation. T2 automotive in Palatine made the repairs on 1/22/2024. The same repair was made under warranty at Motorwerks Infiniti back in 2017. The liftgate door open indicator did go on. No alarm came ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2023
The transmission or something connected/apart of the transmission. When driving the RMP will accelerate or drop acceleration with cruise control on or with foot on gas pedal. It is currently at the dealership being looked at. The check engine light came on when the vehicle accelerated to 4 RMP's. Last year the vehicle would not accelerate over 35 mph the dealership fixed the issue but never r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
I'm reporting the growing concern of my engine having rod knock or seizing . It has been burning excessive oil since I bought it at 80k miles. I have reached out to hyundai and they have denied me any help as the vehicle is past their 10y/100k mile warranty. Although my vehicle has extended warranty up to 150k miles for engine seize or rod bearing failure through them. There's no warning lamp but ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
I'm reporting the growing concern of my engine having rod knock or seizing . It has been burning excessive oil since I bought it at 80k miles. I have reached out to hyundai and they have denied me any help as the vehicle is past their 10y/100k mile warranty. Although my vehicle has extended warranty up to 150k miles for engine seize or rod bearing failure through them. There's no warning lamp but ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Broken bones in face. Nose split in two parts Eye socket broken along with cornea messed up. Broken ribs. Bleeding spleen. Broken neck.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
Your website has some trouble & won't accept my jpg files. First time to see this. I use cruise control all the time on 3 vehicles I own. But, this JEEP has a strange problem that is not safe. Almost all vehicles I have driven with cruise controls will exceed set speed by 1~3mph while going down a steep hill. But my JEEP will exceed by 5~7mph on steep hills. I have turned off cruise control when ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
Your website has some trouble & won't accept my jpg files. First time to see this. I use cruise control all the time on 3 vehicles I own. But, this JEEP has a strange problem that is not safe. Almost all vehicles I have driven with cruise controls will exceed set speed by 1~3mph while going down a steep hill. But my JEEP will exceed by 5~7mph on steep hills. I have turned off cruise control when ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
On 10/18/24 I was making a left turn out of my development when a vehicle crashed into the front driver portion of my vehicle. The vehicle was going approximately 40+mph. I was driving approximately 5-10 mph making the turn. I was wearing a seatbelt, hit my head on the drivers door jam/window and immediately complained of neck and head pain. No airbags deployed. I sustained a severely herniat... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
Steering feels sticky/stuck at 40mph + after driven for awhile(10min+). Extremely noticeable at highway speeds. I’m feeling like I’m fighting my car to stay in the center of my lane. Safety is hard to maintain, hard to keep in center of lane. We’ve taken it in to dealership and they couldn’t reproduce but never took it on highway. Several phone calls to dealer. I did do the steering column... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
I received the initial msg sending from the rental platform Turo on 12/18/2023 stating that my car has to be unlisted due to FUEL PUMP NOT TO RESALE, since then I have been contacting my local HONDA dealerships all over and see what repairs I need to get it fixed. It has been more than a month, no any advisors contacted me yet, nor any dealerships has the part yet. Everytime I call, they said it i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed spe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
It has been 4 months that I was instructed to park vehicle outside. This is frustrating. I think they should replace the Module and get it over with.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle idled extremely rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-037. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
I did spend lots from my pocket to maintain this vehicle.I parked my vehicle for few days in my driveway.i try to start my vehicle once I get back from break.It won’t started.I even changed the new battery but I couldn’t be able to start.I towed to the dealership yesterday.Not sure what is the problem
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
I did spend lots from my pocket to maintain this vehicle.I parked my vehicle for few days in my driveway.i try to start my vehicle once I get back from break.It won’t started.I even changed the new battery but I couldn’t be able to start.I towed to the dealership yesterday.Not sure what is the problem
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
Loss of power steering while driving, could cause loss of vehicle control. Issue occurred 3 hours after vehicle purchase and was accompanied by multiple warning lights on dash. Dealer stated they had performed some wiring repair before my purchase, but did not disclose that at time of purchase
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that the 4WD system became inoperable. The contact stated that the antifreeze was not suitable for the area he lived. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer, who stated that the antifreeze would thicken below 35 degrees. The contact was informed that the engine would not produce enough power to move thicke... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that the 4WD system became inoperable. The contact stated that the antifreeze was not suitable for the area he lived. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer, who stated that the antifreeze would thicken below 35 degrees. The contact was informed that the engine would not produce enough power to move thicke... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, th... Read more
TESLA
MODEL 3
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Jan 23, 2024
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
This is the second engine I’ve had replaced since I bought the vehicle in December 21, 2023. The first engine failed in August of 2022 while I was driving on the highway. The vehicle began to smoke and shut down while I was driving on the highway. The vehicle shut down and I had to use the current momentum of the vehicle to pull over to the shoulder. The vehicle would not come out of gear and wo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
I picked up this car on 12/30/2023. On 1/10/2024, I noticed that the power folding side mirrors were folding slower than normal. On 1/13/2024, I went into the Kia Access app and was greeted by an error message stating that remote commands could not be sent as the battery was under 40%, however the app showed the battery at 80%. On 1/14/2024, I discovered the app was referencing the 12-volt battery... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
My Honda accord has been acting up and it has Several problems including, adaptive cruise control system problem, collision mitigation braking system problem, road departure mitigation system problem, electric power steering system problem steering assist reduced, see your dealer, emissions system problem aviod heavy acceleration and high speed. Vehicle stability assist system Problem, traction ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
My Honda accord has been acting up and it has Several problems including, adaptive cruise control system problem, collision mitigation braking system problem, road departure mitigation system problem, electric power steering system problem steering assist reduced, see your dealer, emissions system problem aviod heavy acceleration and high speed. Vehicle stability assist system Problem, traction ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 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 not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experience... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle shutoff without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was informed that water was leaking, the water pump had failed, and the timing chain was fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and refe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
Fuel Pump relay fuse is getting burnt up and not allowing car to start. This is a known problem and Nhtsa has already made a recall but mine isn’t recalled. You would think since mine is a 2008-2011 Buick Lucerne it would be able to get fixed. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
It's a known problem with gmc with a lawsuit for the PVC pipes clogging and blowing the main rear oil seal causing the vehicle to quit running
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Abs unit still in need of remedy Engine emitting smoke and harsh smell no incident has occurred yet but there may be damage occurring to my vehicle