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: Jul 10, 2023
My Ford Edge started running rough with white smoke from the tailpipe then a check engine light came on with the codes P0316 and P0301. Dealer stated that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine would need to be replaced.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Gas gage is very inaccurate. Miles to empty falls dramatically faster than actual miles driven and then resets itself when car is turned off and back on. I have no confidence in the accuracy of fuel gage.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
While charging at a DC Fast Charging station, my vehicle reported "High Voltage" Battery problem. So I disconnected from the charger and started driving home. While driving I got “Stop Safely Now” message on the dashboard. I could hardly pull over to the shoulder. The car immediately went dead as soon as I stopped. I was lucky to be on a road with no traffic else this could have been a disast... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
Front Passenger safety restraint system fault. This is 3rd time this system warning has come up. The previous 2 fixes were under warrantee (the last one was Feb 2023), the new one is not and estimated at $1100 fix.
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
Unknown what caused the issue but our vehicle erupted into flames in our driveway not 10 minutes after we pulled in. No warnings, no indication anything was wrong. We smelled smoke and went outside to find the hood completely engulfed. It took fire department to extinguish it. They’re not certain of cause yet but said likely an electrical short
Fire
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
Unknown what caused the issue but our vehicle erupted into flames in our driveway not 10 minutes after we pulled in. No warnings, no indication anything was wrong. We smelled smoke and went outside to find the hood completely engulfed. It took fire department to extinguish it. They’re not certain of cause yet but said likely an electrical short
Fire
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I visited my local Dodge dealership for airbag recalls for my 2005 Dodge Ram in December 2022. In October 2023 I noticed a leak in the rear differential. When looking into the recalls for my Vin the differential pin was mentioned on there but never to me as I thought it was just the airbags. The part has been fixed by a mechanic shop (I paid for) but, did dodge complete the inspection or just chec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
The past month or 2, I started having issues with my car where it would stop while driving. The engine is running, but my car would slow down, brakes and wheel would stop and I’m not able to move after that. Luckily none of this has happened on the expressway, but I am always concern if it were to happen at a high speed that an accident could happen, plus I’m a mother of 2 so I’m even more c... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
On August 12, 2023, I went to the Plano TX Tesla Delivery Center to pick up my new TeslaY model as scheduled at about 11 am. CST . The vehicle had 3 miles on it. After taking a couple of rounds around the delivery center and becoming comfortable with the default settings, I started driving back home which was 9 miles away. While on the drive, I noticed that the screen was showing “calibration ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Back up camera goes in and out, fuel pump started making bad sounds a few month after buying it like screeching sounds got the car around 39000
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Back up camera goes in and out, fuel pump started making bad sounds a few month after buying it like screeching sounds got the car around 39000
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
ABS and other lights flashed on the dashboard, the vehicle slowed as if the brakes were pressed. And then it happens several more times before getting home. I brought the vehicle and saw there was a failure of the left rear ABS sensor. Upon looking the sensor is just sitting loose and the clip is rusted out and the sensor has no slot to press into. Upon research I see that this clip rusting out i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
Ul_a022_ApeFusesEtc Audience [service-fix, factory) Description Driver Assistance ECU (APE) is not fused or not locked or missing credentials Set Condition Driver Assistance ECU is not fused or not locked or missing credentials Clear Condition Driver Assistance ECU is fused, locked and has proper credentials Potential Impact Driver Assistance ECU is in an unsecured state (unfused)
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The horn stops working. It is not a fuse related issue. It is the horn itself. There are multiple reports of horn failure in this model, 2021 and 2022, on the internet and social media. There are people reporting that dealerships are also seeing a lot of cars with horn failure. This is a serious safety issue. Someone could go off the road into the woods and crash, unable to signal with a horn that... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The horn stops working. It is not a fuse related issue. It is the horn itself. There are multiple reports of horn failure in this model, 2021 and 2022, on the internet and social media. There are people reporting that dealerships are also seeing a lot of cars with horn failure. This is a serious safety issue. Someone could go off the road into the woods and crash, unable to signal with a horn that... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
While driving the vehicle, the radio will suddenly and instantly jump to full volume frightening the driver and passengers and making it hard to focus on the road and control the vehicle. The dealership and GM will not fix the issue as it happens intermittently.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The breaking lights, skid lights and another light associated with breaks came out and I lost the ABS abilities, the hv battery is not charging while breaking. These lights comes out randomly. Very risky especially while breaking.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The breaking lights, skid lights and another light associated with breaks came out and I lost the ABS abilities, the hv battery is not charging while breaking. These lights comes out randomly. Very risky especially while breaking.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
235/45R18 94S M+S I originally purchased these tires because they were rated #2 on top 10 anti-hydroplaning lists. After receiving the tires I realized the anti-hydroplaning characteristics are due to an unusually deep tire tread. After driving them a bit I realized that the tire compound had excessive lack of grip on lightly wet surfaces and often on dry surfaces. So they may be good for anti... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
While driving the vehicle I noticed hesitation and lose of power on the interstate. No MIL or check engine light illuminated on the dash. I was able to get the vehicle back to the house, but noticed a strong fuel smell coming from the car. I walked around the vehicle looking for a visible sign of a fuel leak and saw a puddle by the rear passenger tire. After further investigation I discovered t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Multiple times, the vehicle braked on its own while traveling eastbound on the Interstate 8 freeway between Yuma, AZ & Gila Bend, AZ. This was when no other vehicle or obstruction was on the freeway within a mile of the vehicle. The braking was very jarring, and if another vehicle was behind us it could have easily caused a high speed rear-end collision.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the display screen illuminated randomly and flashed a bright white screen. Additionally, the forward collision warning did not alert when pedestrians were near the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the software needed to be updated. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Numerous times, this 2018 Honda Odyssey would shift into neutral when trying to downshift at highway speeds after a long trip. The push button gear indicator would state the vehicle would be in "D" drive, but the vehicle would actually be in neutral. The only remedy would be to apply the brakes to allow something to reset, and the transmission would then engage as normal. This is very unsaf... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
I have been forced to stop using cruise control on my Tesla Model 3. Over the past few years, the car will repeatedly slam on the brakes for no good reason when I am driving on the highway. I understand this behavior is known as "phantom braking." The car will suddenly and unexpectedly drop speed by 10-20 mph on the highway. I am so worried that someone will rear-end my vehicle that I cannot use c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Airbag needed to be replaced....again. This vehicle has had many recalls before, but now I am forced to pay for an additional replacement. Airbags are supposed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. Toyota not covering this $1000 expense is ridiculous and unsafe.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
ABS constantly fails. Check ABS and traction control fail light constantly appearing. Suspected ABS module failure.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
I get an intermittent error message: RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault service is required Tesla service charges nearly $360 for this repair. I have understood from owners with the same issue that the connector to the seat belt pretensioner is the issue. Several owners have the same issue.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
I was driving south on the Fl Turnpike when my vehicle shuts off,
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
At approximately 74,000 miles, our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate with the 3.3L V6 exhibited a total loss of power from the engine, while driving at non-highway speeds. As the vehicle decelerated to pull off the road, a catastrophic engine failure occurred with loss of all power and drivability. The vehicle was towed to our local repair shop, where it was diagnosed to need a full engine replacemen... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Transmission. Was replaced at 101,000 miles. Made driving situation unsafe, at risk for transmission failure. Replaced at independent service. Has been brought to a ford dealership and looked at. Check engine light appeared. 6 months before replacement.
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
Defective Brake Control Module and Hydraulic Control Unit intermittently cause ABS and Traction Control warning lights and error messages to repair ABS and Electronic Brake System. This causes cruise control to drop and no ABS braking. This first happened 2 years ago and was dealer repaired and now it's happening again. This is obviously caused due to defective parts.
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
I was driving and the power steering went out while driving. The power steering warning light came on as the steering went out. It was extremely difficult to steer the car. I was fortunate to keep my car under control and stop. Upon investigating how to fix the issue, I discovered the power steering in this vehicle is "electric power steering" thus no way for me to fix it by adding fluid, etc.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
EXPERIENCED A HARD DEATH WOBBLE GOING DOWNHILL TOWING AN RV. TOOK TRUCK TO DEALER (JONES FORD IN WICKENBURG AZ.) THEY SAID IT WAS BRAKES AND ROTORS. TRUCK HAD 40,000 MILES. DEATH WOBBLE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT WAS ONLY THE BRAKES AFTER READING WHAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN TOLD.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Transmission cooler line failed while driving at highway speeds. This resulted in a complete loss of transmission fluid resulting in loss of power and drivability on the highway. Also resulted in trailing cars being covered in transmission fluid, obscuring vision. Vehicle engine and exhaust were covered in transmission fluid and smoking heavily indicating potential for fire. Vehicle was driving pe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V378000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made awar... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
After 60,0000 miles the car started having engine problems, and Ford told us that it would need a new transmission and Engine. When asked about the warranty they said there is none (Purchased car new from Ford). In doing research we noticed that there where similar issues for previous year models of the Edge.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
There was a recall for driver side mirrors. The original mirror was fine but they replaced it with a mirror that is distorted/warped. They replaced it again with another distorted mirror. All the replacement mirrors are faulty. You can not safely drive with them !
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
Sunroof randomly exploded while driving down the road with no other vehicles or objects nearby
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
On three occasions over the past two weeks, my truck downshifted abruptly and without warning while traveling at approximately 65 miles per hour. The first time it occurred, it must have shifted into first gear because my body and head were stopped from hitting the steering wheel thanks to the seatbelt. On the second and third time the downshifts were hard, but I suspect they were into second or... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
The component or system that failed or malfunctioned, FUEL PUMP ( METAL FLAKING IN FUEL SYSTEM ) has caused 1 or more CYLINDERS to FAIL. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety as well as the safety of many other motorists was put at high risk due to the fact that I had a 40ft. trailer hitched to the truck at the time the engine power was reduced. thus causing my vehicle to loose... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
The valve for crankcase ventilation has a malfunction. The actuator is blocked. Seems like its a common problem for all mercedes C300 ~2015 models. The part should be recalled.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
I was attempting to access the interstate when my truck began to immediately shut down at 70 miles per hour. I received a warning as the engine shut down stating that my engine power was reduced. At the exact moment the message displayed, the truck immediately died at 70 mph leaving me to be forced to wrestle the steering wheel to maneuver the truck to the side of the interstate as I had no power ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated when the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), the image from the rear-view camera was blurry or blank. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring for over 2 years. The contact stated that he researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V059000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the VIN was not included. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Daughter driving in speed lane in Indiana at speeds over 70mph- steering locked up completely as she was surrounded by semis. Thank God she responded and handled the situation - she could have been killed. Now car is in repair on what is KNOWN to be common failure, but NO recall. She is 6 hours away from vehicle now at college. Part will take 8 weeks. Honda doing nothing to provide her with a vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Driver side windshield trim came off while driving on freeway at 70mph We saw something fly off and pulled over to check and the trim was gone Don’t know what happened to trim, praying it didn’t damage anyone else’s car or cause an accident
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that upon pressing the Start button, the instrument panel lights illuminated, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding two critical component failures in my 2013 Tesla Model S within the past 12 months, both of which occurred shortly after the manufacturer's warranty had expired. These issues have not only been financially burdensome but also raise questions about the reliability and longevity of Tesla vehicles. Motor Replacement: In Sept 2022, I was compelled... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I'm writing regarding an issue I had with my 2016 Ford F150 with the 2.7L Ecoboost engine and a recent article I read regarding a NHSTA investigation into the 2021-2022 model year 2.7L engines ( [XXX] ). In October of 2022, the engine in my truck cut off on the highway and would not restart. The Ford Dealership said it needed a completely new engine due to a valve problem. It is the same proble... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I want to draw attention to a significant concern: U.S. auto safety regulators announced in August of this year that they are currently investigating whether Ford Motor's 2022 recall of nearly 49,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles comprehensively addressed the associated safety concerns. The basis for the 2022 recall was that the high voltage battery main contactors could overheat, particul... Read more