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: Oct 16, 2023
I purchased my 2018 Kia Optima directly from the dealership, brand new. I've had the vehicle since then and have followed all of the warranty guidelines and only went to them for oil changes & other maintenance issues. Since February 2023 I've noticed where i've been having oil loss, but no sign of an oil leak. When I first noticed this, I would take a turn and my oil light would come on. I'd chec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
"Front safety restraint system fault" message comes up sporadically and then regularly. Tesla has address this issue at least four times but it has not been resolved. I was told they ordered a new seat but now they are backtracking on this.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
I was driving in the rain and I experienced an issue with a vehicle’s automatic safety systems that are designed to aid you from crashing and it would have been the proximate cause of my fatal accident had I not realized what was happening and stopped the system’s actions. The system kicked in when I touched the rumble strip with my front left tire but I brought it back before the system coul... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The APIM failed. This is a safety issue in this day and age of cell phones. We are not to use our cell phones while driving.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was flashing with an occupant seated in the seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and she was informed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side air bags and seat belt pretensioners were defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notifi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
All my dash warning lights started coming on for Adaptive Cruise Control, ABS, LKAS, Front Collision Mitigation, Road Departure Mitigation. They all came on at once. I took it to Honda and they said it’s a front camera issue and I’d need to pay $1800 to replace it. Researching it online, I’ve seen many Pilot owners that have had this same issue.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Recently purchased said vehicle. Found the back up/camera/safety component substandard, especially when compared to other makes/models including their own Sentry. The resolution is so low that images are hard to discern; are mottled gray like a 1950 black and white movie. When backing up in low light (i.e. garage, overcast, rainy), it is nearly impossible to discern objects. I actually took ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
I was driving from Los Angeles to Concord, CA when my car stalled on the highway. The last few miles I was driving a red oil light came on, which I found unusual since I wasn't due for another oil change for about 1000 more miles. I get my car towed to the nearest auto shop and they said the drain plug for my oil had fallen off and the tow truck bed was covered in oil as well as the entire backsid... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
9/29/22 (123k miles) TECHNICIAN: - Test drove vehicle, inspected transmission operation & found gear train noise / L3, in approximately 1st through 3rd gears. Tach was jumping up to about 200 rpms when converter locked up and then would go back down. Monitored on scanner and found converter slipping in and out of lock up. - Scanned computer control modules & found no codes. - Inspected transmissio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The Sun roof won’t close and is so distracting while driving on highways You can’t concentrate and this happen before but the dealership fixed under warranty and happens again and again and I did some research and it happens a lot in this cars same problem the last time was today sometimes full open and the most won’t close the corners
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
the car shut off doing 60mph it was very scary took it to mechanic it had 2 codes the check engine light was on they cleaned the throttle body it ran but was struggling and rough idling drove to work and it wanted to stall multiple times put it in neutral to get idle up at a light then it stalled at a light drove home very afraid that it would shut off again took to the same mechanic to explain wh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Two times in one week with two different drivers driving the same vehicle the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration while parking. In the first incident this resulted in damage to the bumper into a wired fence which the vehicle did not alert but rather accelerated instead of applied regenerative breaking. Four days later the same incident happened with sudden unintended acceleration o... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
The roof panoramic glass shattered for no apparent reason. Passengers in the car could have been harmed Insurance has approved the repair. There was no warning or indication of failure.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Electrical connections not sealed at horn assembly leads to corrosion and horn to stop functioning.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
Phantom breaking problem with Tesla Y occurred on I90 between Rapid City and Sioux Falls SD, June 2nd between 1 and 2 pm when my wife and I were traveling across country. I was passing a semi-truck in the left lane and traveling at about 80 mph (the speed limit) with a pickup truck following me. I was using TACC (assisted cruise control) without the Autosteer function, when the Tesla Y slammed o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
Within 10 minutes of turning on the rear defroster, the rear window shattered. Glass fell into the car, but no object was found inside the car. It was about 60F outside, and the sun had set ~5 hours prior. This specific vehicle has not been inspected for this issue prior to the incident, and the dealership was unable/unwilling to look at the rear defroster without first replacing the rear windo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
Vehicle susceptible to water leaks inside the electrical system from the outside causing error messages
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
I have had my 2014 Chevy Cruze for 2 years now and have kept up with regular maintenance. My vehicle rocks back and forth while on the brakes, there’s an constant issue with the traction control system, my automatic lights don’t work (I have to many turn on the light in order for the brake lights to turn on), the vehicle shakes side to side when braked, and so much more. When I take the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign and the attempting to make a left turn, the accelerator pedal became unresponsive while depressed. The pedal was depressed to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic was not able to determine the cause of... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
Driving the vehicle and all of a sudden all these warning lights came on. The dash flashed warning signs stating: "Power reduced - exiting and entering the vehicle may restore operation" "High voltage battery requires service - Acceleration and charging performance reduced" and a turtle sign appeared. The vehicle was almost inoperable moving at 1-2 mph. Pulled into a parking lot, parked the car, ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
On 10/01/2023 I was on my way to the airport with my son all of a sudden as I was driving the low engine oil pressure warning light came on!! Before this never had any other lights come on No other issues kept my car well maintained Now my car is at a shop because the engine is locked up. Just bought this car From a used car dealership in Jan 2023
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift out of 4th gear. The contact then stated that the vehicle failed to shift in the intended gears. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that when the vehicle finally acceler... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owned a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle had lost power and had shifting issues with the manual transmission. The contact noticed smoke from under the hood and tried to pull to the side of the road. While pulling to the side of the road, under the hood had caught on fire. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road safely. The au... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, and she collided with the other vehicle head-on. As a result, her vehicle careened off the roadway and into a ditch, colliding with an unoccupied parked vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report and injuries were reported... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
while driving my Tesla Model 3, using the ACC and self-steering option, I occasionally get "forward collision warnings" when going over a hill, where you can't see the road until you get over the hill. I have also had the same "forward collision warnings" on a flat stretch of road when there is clearly nothing in front of me in my lane. I have also been experiencing "phantom braking" episodes, no... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Traveling on I-75 SB just outside Atlanta, was in lane 2 of about 7 lanes. One car in lane 1, bumper was near my driver door, another truck in lane 4 or 5 approx 200' in front of us. We were in the front of a pack of vehicles. I had the cruise control set about 70, weather was clear, about 3 in the afternoon. With nothing in front of us and no warning, the car began flashing the red dash lights, t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Traveling on I-75 SB just outside Atlanta, was in lane 2 of about 7 lanes. One car in lane 1, bumper was near my driver door, another truck in lane 4 or 5 approx 200' in front of us. We were in the front of a pack of vehicles. I had the cruise control set about 70, weather was clear, about 3 in the afternoon. With nothing in front of us and no warning, the car began flashing the red dash lights, t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The car experienced sudden lack of power in the middle gears and was unable to accelerate. At the same time it displayed the sliding car icon indicating a brake issue. It came and went for a couple of weeks and then just would not pick up speed in the middle gears. The car is a 6 speed manual. The code thrown was for a manifold control valve failure. We could not get Nissan to schedule a repair so... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that he had noticed a crack in the rear tail light bar located at the top edge of the hatchback liftgate. The contact stated that he had not hit any objects and had not noticed any impact marks. The contact stated that the crack was located in the middle of the tail light bar. The contact stated that when it rains the hatchback tail light fills... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
Driving along a highway and the motor blew. It had enough oil in it as I had checked it that morning before leaving for a family reunion.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
The following NHTSA Recall Number23V-338 was issued on May 11, 2023 and has not yet been resolved. The manufacturer is stating that parts are not available. It is pertinent that the manufacturer be pressured to provide the final resolution to this issue immediately as the risk for fire is extremely high.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Sept 9th, 2023 while driving on the interstate the vehicle lost all propulsion power, red lights shown in "gear, P N D" indicator area. I was in left lane and had to get to the side of the road, 4 lanes over, where putting the car in park and back in drive allowed for it to move forward again. I proceeded to a charging station to inspect the car and during this I hear a thump in the trunk area whe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
The air bag light came on for the front passenger seat. I took it to Grayson Hyundai & they tried to get part #88840-3L500-J9 which is the latch right front buckle assembly. I was told there was no part available because my car is a 2006 & manufactures are only required to carry parts for 10 years. I was also told if the air bags worried me to trade cars. I would think the seat belt buckle for... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
The air bag light came on for the front passenger seat. I took it to Grayson Hyundai & they tried to get part #88840-3L500-J9 which is the latch right front buckle assembly. I was told there was no part available because my car is a 2006 & manufactures are only required to carry parts for 10 years. I was also told if the air bags worried me to trade cars. I would think the seat belt buckle for... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
At first, the parking brake assist would appear when vehicle was put into park or when starting. We would have to release the parking brake each time. Then, the parking brake assist light would not go on, but the parking brake assist would engage and or be sticking while driving causing a burning smell and damage to the rear braking system including brake pads and calipers. The independent repair ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (Electrical System) however the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to remedy the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
air bag needed to be replaced after I replaced it before on a previous recall. NEED ANOTHER RECALL
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
I received this new car 11 days ago - it has none of its safety assist driving features and Tesla is not responding to my requests for assistance. I can't get a response to my requests for help. The clearly is absent of multiple points of functionality. Thank you
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
Wipers began to turn on randomly without driver command causing distractions in a vehicle with 38,000 miles. There is a technical service bulletin about this issue (32366). It is known that the wipers will completely fail to work after an unknown, but rather short interval. Failed windshield wipers would render the vehicle unsafe to operate, therefore we elected for Immediate repair. The repair wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
The brakes fail and the ABS module stops working correctly and when I go at a speed of 60 MPH the brakes lock until the speed drops and they work again. The problem is with the ABS module and I went to the dealer and the repair value is $3450 dollars.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Subject: Urgent Safety Concerns: 2019 Toyota Camry XSE ABS Brake System/ ABS Actuator Issue Description: In late July, while on the freeway, I faced an alarming situation with six brake system malfunction indicator lights. After briefly turning off and restarting the engine, the warning lights cleared. 6 Warning Lights: LDA Malfunction, Pre-Collision System Malfunction, Lower Braking Power, Antil... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
While on a cross country trip and while on the highway using the Tesla auto pilot and/or adaptive cruise control, we experienced numerous phantom braking incidents. Several while driving during the day with no other vehicles around and several while passing semi trucks in the other lane. At night the same thing occurred and on one occasion, with no other vehicles around, suddenly braked from 70 mp... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with low fuel pressure. The fuel filters were replaced. The contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle was parked for 30 days while he was on vacation. The co... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
I went to work at 5 in the morning, I turned the heater for the first time after last winter. I noticed that the heater was struggling to warm the cabin. After 10 minutes driven I got an overheating alert on the dashboard. I pulled over on the freeway shoulder and it started to notice a lot of steam coming from the exhaust and a really strong coolant smell. I waited for the engine to cool down and... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Coolant leak. Needs new motor to fix issue.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Passenger seat air bag light off light is on
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the power steering was not functioning, after which the vehicle lost all power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed an unknown fluid c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
My car was taken to Nissan dealership three times and I was told it was safe to drive as they felt it was the recall for tie rod ends that have not been released for replacement at this time. I continued to have issues but was waiting to have tie rod ends replaced. I was turning into my driveway at a low rate of speed when I felt and heard a pop in my front end. After the pop I could move my steer... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
In transit, it began smoking and the engine light came on. After pulling to the side, flames erupted and it became fully engulfed, followed by a small explosion. The vehicle and it’s contents were a total loss.
Fire