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 28, 2023
Front drivers side door suddenly started making crunching sound when opening. There was no damage, accident, warning or any other incident that proceeded it. It was working normally and then it wasn’t. It is a safety issue because the door doesn’t open fully and the window and door locks do also not work properly. Window will roll down but not up which makes it impossible to secure vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
I was making a left turn when the temperature indicator shot up to red, it had been reading right in the middle which is normal. Then "coolant temperature high" lit up on the dashboard display. The car started to sputter (like shaking) as I was going through the intersection and I thought it was going to turn off completely. I hit the gas because there was still oncoming traffic and it seems lik... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
I was making a left turn when the temperature indicator shot up to red, it had been reading right in the middle which is normal. Then "coolant temperature high" lit up on the dashboard display. The car started to sputter (like shaking) as I was going through the intersection and I thought it was going to turn off completely. I hit the gas because there was still oncoming traffic and it seems lik... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
on Sep 17 2023 my wife was driving her Audi Q7. which has 25,780 miles. She drove to a parking lot for a hiking trip, pressed on the brake and the car instead of stopping accelerated. She kept trying to press the brake, however the car did not stop until it hit a tree. The car has been towed to our house and it is not driveable. The car has not been inspected yet. I plan on calling the Audi d... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 11, 2023
Since earlier in year, continue to get airbag warning light. Stays on for few minutes then goes out. So today checking NHTSA website to confirm if a recall has been issued. As of this date 9/17/23… no information available. So not sure if there is a problem or why the light continues to come on and then off?
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Vehicle is burning oil at an alarmingly higher amount than it should. Have filled the oil twice in the last month due to it being low. Have been tracking the oil levels for the past month and it is quickly losing oil (no stains in the driveway, white smoke out of the tailpipe, no oil splatter inside the engine compartment). Have been taking pictures of the dipstick while checking it regularly.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
On 09/11/2023 at approx. 6AM CST, my wife went to a nearby Walmart store for groceries. As she was parking the car in the parking space, the car started to accelerate by itself and went around the parking lot in random directions. She couldn't control the steering and brake despite the continuous tries. It was such a traumatic experience, and the car went on to hit couple of other parked cars and ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Toyota 2022 Highlander XLE AWD has a safety issue with the drivers side mirror. The issue is that the mirror vibrates when driving over small bumps or imperfections in the road. It is especially hazardous when driving at night and the following vehicles headlights flicker the reflection back in your face. It is very distracting to the driver. Toyota has similar vehicles (Rav4) that have TSB's for ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
No normal braking available; unable to place car in park as normal; unable to turn car off as normal; The All Surface Progress Control (ASPC) lamp illuminated to confirm that the ASPC system is enabled however the brake warning lamp illuminates but the vehicle cannot be driven with care contrary to what the manual states, but seek qualified assistance urgently contradicts dangerous hard no braki... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
Stalling in the middle of highway twice
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
Warning lights never come up for the five years I've had it On August 18, 2023 while driving I lost power to no gas no brakes to driving like this for five minutes at the end shift to park message came on I was scared thank God I didn't die. On September 15,2023 Ed Denas dealership stated my car fine I disagree with them as again shift to park message comes up. On September 17, 2023 when I park... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2020
Breaks failed to ingage and caused me to hit the back of the vehicle in front of me.
Crash
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The fuel pump is leaking gas on top of the fuel tank. I just bought the car and didn’t know about the consistent problem with second generation CTS. The problem is stated to ba a plastic elbow attached to the fuel pump that ruptures.There is a fuel smell inside while I’m driving and around the car when the car is motionless. This a fire and explosion hazmats that is common to this model year.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The APIM is malfunctioning causing backup camera to remain on, not allowing GPS location of vehicle, inhibiting cameras from working properly. No WiFi functionality, cannot connect phone and I cannot stream music
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
11 months ago I had a brand new Toyota ABS brake actuator installed on my 2005 Prius. Less than a year later, it is failing again. Since I've driven the car more than 12,000 miles Toyota will not replace the part under warranty. Toyota charges $1800 for the part alone. I had an abs brake actuator fail on a previous 2007 Prius as well. Toyota forums imply this is a too common problem.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
I was driving through a busy nyc street very slowly. Probably 10 mph or less. I was on a red light. then i moved forward when the light turned green, my handle felt weird and the car was moving side ways. I first thought it was the tire that blew off. So I immediately stopped the car and had my husband look at the tires. No holes, no pressure was lost. I thought it was so odd, so I started moving... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
The Jetta hybrid relies on a control unit, called the "mechatronic unit" to decouple the gasoline engine from the transmission. This, in turn, transfers propulsion to the electric motor, inside the transmission housing. The "mechatronic" is a highly specialized component, the "brains" of the Jetta's hybrid powertrain, and, therefore, can only be found in the Jetta hybrid. -market sales data says t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
This is my second complaint regarding a Jeep and this time about a 2019 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 Limited, I turned in a complaint re: 2019 Jeep Compass as they both have the same problem. The stop/start system has drained the secondary battery, in turn draining the car battery, in turning almost killing the alternator, The failure left me in the middle of a busy intersection with no possible way to resta... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The odometer/fuel gauge keeps going out when I’m driving and it’s so scary to not know how much gas I have or how many miles I’ve gone. This has been happening for over a year now.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
Steering column rattles and makes cracking noise
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
2.0 engine loss of power and stalls. Engine makes knocking noises and timing chain slipping. First reported to dealership on August 21 and was told they could not be able to look at the car for three months. Vehicle was kept out of service for four weeks. Reported to dealership again on 9/14/2023 and visited the dealership on 9/16 after no response. Also notified the dealership of recall involvi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
I have 2015 outlander sport has 100k miles on it and I had the transmission replaced at 62000 miles at the dealership but now I have a hesitation engine when go over 70k per hour on the highway and airbag service sign on for no reason and the fog light with the led light off with no reason too.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Rear subframe corrosion and failure. Based on my queries this apparently a common issue. I am adding my report to add weight to this common issue. Vehicle is approximately 13 years old, is in good condition, and has not suffered any accidents affecting the rear subframe. Overall only minimal rust or corrosion is found during a visual inspection while on a lift. This vehicle has passed annual ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The hard top convertible is leaking in multiple areas. Primary location is behind the second-row drive side between trunk area and back seat. Other area is between the two front seats in the center. The gaskets have been replaced one time already and its back at local Ford dealership a second time for same problem. Dates for repairs include 8/9/23 and 9/11/23.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Transmission lurches when stopped. Jerks hard enough to move forward. When accelerating, car slips and vibrates. Loses power posing a saftey hazard that is unsafe to drive car. Dealership confirmed its the Transmission dry plates on the DSG automatic transmission. Several times when I been at a red light with a car infront of me, I went to apply gas and the car revs then rapidly engages sometimes.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
On the first engine, a check engine light came on the dashboard, took it in, and was told code P300 was coming on but couldn't find where we were losing the coolant. Come to find out, the header was cracked and it was getting into the oil pan. We only had the vehicle for a few months since we purchased it. The second engine is, a replacement of the first and a used engine. Not even 400 miles an... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she was unable to keep the vehicle centered, and the vehicle was pulling either to the left or the right. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality; however, the failure had since become a persistent failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Car has 95k miles. Recently started showing code P0303 (cylinder 3 misfire). Took it to mechanic, replaced spark plug and engine coil. Got car back, ran fine a couple days, then started noticing coolant level way down from mechanics top off. Mechanic has it now and is thinking coolant leaking into engine. Common issue for this model as I have read online. Also read about a service bulletin offerin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Engine coolant is leaking. Some times white smoke comes out of exhaust. Causes car to rattle and shake. Spent over $600 to get diagnosed and saying new engine needed. Check engine light came on saying it was bad coil. Replaced coil still didn't work found out coolant is leaking into started coil 2 and spark plug.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, he noticed that the steering wheel was not operating as needed. The contact stated that as he slowed down, the steering wheel became significantly difficult to steer. The steering failure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road, where he inspected the vehicle. The contact was a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side wheel detached from the vehicle. The contact was able to navigate the vehicle to safety. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front driver’s side ball joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the VI... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My wife & I were involved in a 4 vehicle accident on Tuesday September 12, 2023 at approximately 4:30pm. We were traveling north on Highway 17 ( Ogeechee road ) toward Savannah Georgia. We had stopped at the 2nd red light at Highway 204 & 17. The light turned green and the vehicles in front of me started moving, we proceeded north and went through the green traffic light at Little Neck road about ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of brake performance. The brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
I was in the carpool lane when traffic came to a complete stop. I pressed on the brakes but they were heavy as if I was not able to press it down all the way. There was no information prior to the accident from the Tesla trying to warn me about an incoming collision. It wasn’t until after the accident the Tesla acknowledged that there was damage done to the car. Prior to the accident there was a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact noticed that the tachometer was elevated to 4,200 RPM. The contact had not depressed the accelerator; the contact removed her foot from the accelerator pedal and heard an abnormal sound like air rushing into the vehicle coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the instru... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact noticed that the tachometer was elevated to 4,200 RPM. The contact had not depressed the accelerator; the contact removed her foot from the accelerator pedal and heard an abnormal sound like air rushing into the vehicle coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the instru... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The AWD/4WD is failing in multiple 2023 sportages. I have a 2023 Sportage X-Pro that was purchased 12/30/2022. Current mileage is 7,731. The viscous coupling is faulty/failing in these vehicles. The sensor does come on in the car. The dealer has deemed the car “unsafe to drive”. The vehicle has been at the dealership since 8/29/2023. Currently the car has been dispatched to 4 different Kia mas... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The AWD/4WD is failing in multiple 2023 sportages. I have a 2023 Sportage X-Pro that was purchased 12/30/2022. Current mileage is 7,731. The viscous coupling is faulty/failing in these vehicles. The sensor does come on in the car. The dealer has deemed the car “unsafe to drive”. The vehicle has been at the dealership since 8/29/2023. Currently the car has been dispatched to 4 different Kia mas... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2022
car can catch on fire due to hybrid battery issue.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
The electronic A/C compressor destroys itself internally on BMW hybrid and electric vehicles and should be considered defective. The A/C compressor is used to cool the cabin as well as the high voltage battery packs, and is considered an emissions component warranties for 7 years or 70,000 miles. Without a functioning A/C system the vehicle cannot charge or use the high voltage batteries. If the e... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Brakes will lock up a pre collision will activate in forward and reverse when no objects are present. It is a hazard to operate the vehicle since it will randomly slam in the brakes will driving down the road or reversing out of a parking space. Also electrical issues vehicle will no longer lock or unlock
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while starting. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: SSM 47849 (Coolant Consumption); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Heavy fuel leak
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Fire started in engine from oil leak in cylinder head on Saturday, 9/9/23 at approximately 1:15 pm. Car had been running for around 2 hours with no signs or indication of malfunction. Driver pulled car over after entering Mt. Rainier National Forest at a viewpoint. At this point driver noticed engine was smoking. NO lights or indicators on dashboard lit up notifying of overheating or malfunction. ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Coolant bypass valve failure my car has less than 50k Dealerships informed me that they fix around 10 a month for that part there is a defect regarding this pump
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
ABS system failure, recirculation pump failure, code C0020, Ran off road while ABS and traction control was off during wet conditions. Unsafe to drive due to safety failure on ABS.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (Electrical System); 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 man... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
rear subframe corrodes and detaches from car. a class action lawsuit has been filed in georgia and california. this effects many mercedes models. dealer stated the lawsuit extends to 08 models as well.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Issue # 1 - Door open light flashing on instrumental panel. I checked out the door and it was closed tightly. It continues to flash today (09/13/2023). During the end of April 2023, I could not lock my doors and the interior dome light stayed on. I was not aware of this and it drained my battery a couple of times in which my vehicle would not start. I now keep my interior dome light in the "Off' p... Read more