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: Aug 14, 2023
We received a recall notice during the pandemic for an issue that previously was a recall. It was repaired but was not a permanent fix. There was oil leaking on the alternator but we were told that they couldn't make the repair for three months due to being so backed up. We understood and put off the repair until they were more caught up. We took our Veracruz in for the repair, which was supposed ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
Just bought 2023 Pathfinder Platinum edition and drove it once. First time driving on the highway at 70 mph on cruise control, the engine stopped and a message came across the dash saying " Your engine has stalled. Please pull over to a safe area". This caused me to put my family's safety in jeopardy because we had to wait for 3 hrs for a tow in 100 plus degree heat in the desert with nothing to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Screen is blue by reverse
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Screen is blue by reverse
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Driving on freeway speed 80mph with no other cars around the car slammed on brakes while on cruise control. It was able to accelerate and the next time I put the cruise control on a few minutes later it slammed on brakes again. Car clean no warning that it was trying to avoid an unseen object. Drove rest of the way without cruise control on and no problems.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
Reference your GM/Chevy recall NHTSA [XXX] , I have a 2020 GMC truck with a failed Fuel Pump Control Module, same part/same part number used in the SUVs. Are you going to recall the trucks also. Lucky for me, mine failed as I pulled into my drive way. Had to have my truck towed to the dealership, 2 days later informed my FPCM was bad, and of course there are no replacement part available. [XXX]... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
The transmission in my 2018 Honda Odyssey clunks and shutters and jerks forward when accelerating and jerks slow down when decelerating. Stop and go traffic I either can barely accelerate or rapidly accelerate after upshidting and almost hit the car in front of me. The transmission shudders and clunks and jerks
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
The vehicle's A/C system was not working as intended, noticing air is blowing very weak. The vehicle was took to tesla service center and was told that rodents had gotten into the vehicle (not sure how) and chewed wire systems and air filters. Tesla reports the damages affected a/c systems and electrical control for the vehicle including auto pilot assistant. Cost of repair was $2020.17, not co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
Every single time I go for an oil change, my oil is empty, even though I go early. One time I went to my place and they refused to do in oil change because it is dry and I had to go buy oil and put it in before they would change it. This car burns oil quicker than I burn gas. I’m very concerned because there were a couple times where there was no oil and I now stop in mid oil change for top ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
Every single time I go for an oil change, my oil is empty, even though I go early. One time I went to my place and they refused to do in oil change because it is dry and I had to go buy oil and put it in before they would change it. This car burns oil quicker than I burn gas. I’m very concerned because there were a couple times where there was no oil and I now stop in mid oil change for top ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
Shifter mechanism has failed suddenly and permanently for the third time. It was repaired under warranty the first two times.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
My sunroof shattered for no apparent reason……!
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
Was driving on the highway at normal speed and the windshield trim on the drivers side flew off.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
I paid for FSD And now TESLA has disabled the feature. They have not responded to any inquiries by me as to when it’s going to be reactivated. I would appreciate anything that you can do.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I paid for FSD And now TESLA has disabled the feature. They have not responded to any inquiries by me as to when it’s going to be reactivated. I would appreciate anything that you can do.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My Ryker has developed the Yaw SAS fault codes C006C & C0063C being excessive play in steering components. It is a very wide known problem causing the trike to go into limp mode with no consumer fix without a dealer getting involved. This comes down to a poor designed bushing on the SAS sensor that fails due to turning stress on it. I am aware of the TSB 137209 which is also on my list of repairs.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The spare tire, which has never been used, has formed a major failure of the tread. The tread has split.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
While driving in the city on under construction road, the car started showing notifications that the steering power will be reduced. 30 sec. later the steering wheel froze and the car was drivable only forward and backwards. This safety system malfunction put me and my family at risk while in active driving mode, luckily there was no much traffic and i was able to reset the car in order to be ab... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
To submit a claim to the NHTSA regarding my 2010 Toyota Prius (VIN [XXX] ), I wish to highlight a concerning issue with the brake booster, actuator, and brake booster pump assemblies. This malfunction has the potential to lead to brake failures, posing a significant risk of collisions with other vehicles. The presence of a diagnostic trouble code (C1391) and the illumination of ABS, traction contr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The shift cable bushing and other parts around is bad. Ford auto nation in blanding Ave Florida said my car needs work $1,100.00 I had diagnostic done by ford automation on July 22, 2023 on a Saturday from service center name Chris I needed that shift cable bushing fixed.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
Seat belts in second row will engage/click into place securely and then intermittently release causing the seatbelt to come disconnected during vehicle operation. I have 3 children who during an accident could be ejected from the vehicle or seriously injured if the seatbelt mechanism were to fail.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
I was driving my 2019 rav 4 and a warning came on my screen that stated “ engine maintenance required. Visit dealer.” No check engine light came on just this warning that would not go away. I went to orileys to see is they could tell me what was wrong and they were unable to read it since it was not a check engine light. The orileys employee told me I had to take it to a Toyota dealership to f... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
While driving 45 mph on a straight stretch of a state road, I hit the brakes multiple times and decelerated so I could take the hard right exit and then make an immediate sharp left in a residential area. As I moved to the exiting lane, I turned on the right turn signal and eased off the brake. The car revved HARD, accelerated immediately and the cruise control icon + 58 mph began flashing on th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Truck started doing the death wobble when hitting brakes and sometimes when hitting bumps in the road. Death wobble was very violent and last for a few seconds each time before we could get vehicle stopped. I made my local ford dealer aware of my problem and they inspected it and said it was related to the drive shaft recall. I made the earliesr appointment which was a couple weeks later. I droppe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Truck started doing the death wobble when hitting brakes and sometimes when hitting bumps in the road. Death wobble was very violent and last for a few seconds each time before we could get vehicle stopped. I made my local ford dealer aware of my problem and they inspected it and said it was related to the drive shaft recall. I made the earliesr appointment which was a couple weeks later. I droppe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
When pulling into traffic the car wants to hesitate almost like stalling when going from 1st to 2nd gear 1st thing in the morning. Almost causing a crash it does it every morning after the car is driving the car for a while it no longer does it. There are no check engine lights on
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
Electrical issue with my pontiac g6 I have had to replace my headlights bulbs multiple times due to the plugs melting I have actively seen the plug smoking and it has happened on both of my drl/low beam headlight bulbs resulting in plugs having to be replaced multiple times as well. My engine light isn't working and yet I have engine codes my service air bag light comes on at random my buckle seat... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the trunk latch had failed to open. The contact attempted to use the key fob and the key to unlock the trunk however, the latch failed to release. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the trunk latch and key entry needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Tesla advertises lane keeping assist, emergency lane departure assist etc. What happens is if you trigger this feature too many times during a drive the software disables this safety feature entirely. There are plenty of disclosures about not relying on the features etc. The issue i feel that warrants intervention from your departments is, how can a manufacture completely disable a safety fea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
I was driving about 30 mph when my brakes were put on automatically and a red triangle blinked. I thought the warning had a D in the middle, but I can’t find that as a warning. There was not another car close to me at the time. The warning went away and then the car went back to normal.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
I was driving about 30 mph when my brakes were put on automatically and a red triangle blinked. I thought the warning had a D in the middle, but I can’t find that as a warning. There was not another car close to me at the time. The warning went away and then the car went back to normal.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
I was pulling into parking lot at REI car suddenly accelerated and jumped pavement and hit a wall.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Component: Stereo + Speakers I was put at risk because of the extremely loud sound coming from the speakers that I could not control. I was unable to hear traffic around me or concentrate on driving. It startled me so much I almost swerved into traffic. It was inspected by the manufacturer and they performed a reprogramming of the (audio controller?). There were no other warning lamps, messages... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Component: Stereo + Speakers I was put at risk because of the extremely loud sound coming from the speakers that I could not control. I was unable to hear traffic around me or concentrate on driving. It startled me so much I almost swerved into traffic. It was inspected by the manufacturer and they performed a reprogramming of the (audio controller?). There were no other warning lamps, messages... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2021
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 local dealer was contacted. 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 not experien... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
According to Ram, some vehicles have a faulty circuit board that may cause the electronic steering to fail. I'm currently experiencing intermittent steering loss, that jolts the wheel. This seems dangerous and ram should replace it asap.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
According to Ram, some vehicles have a faulty circuit board that may cause the electronic steering to fail. I'm currently experiencing intermittent steering loss, that jolts the wheel. This seems dangerous and ram should replace it asap.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was displaying an incorrect reading on the instrument panel, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the purge valve was replaced. Despite the repair, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an indep... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's body coating is clearly a hazardous manufacturer defect. The paint warranty for this and other models and model years was extended to 5 years late last year, but did not provide us with any safeguard. As a warranty, correction of the defect would only be approved by Hyundai if there was an observed problem. Within weeks of the end of the vehicle's 5-year warranty ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a crack in the exhaust pipe and that the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2023
The contact owns a 1998 Ziema boat trailer equipped with Beijing Tires, Tire Line: BCT K42, Tire Size: ST175/80/R13, DOT Number: 0J15CP3. The contact stated that while attempting to load the trailer, he became aware that passenger’s side tire pressure was low. The trailer was taken to the dealer where it was purchased. The tire was removed from the trailer and the contact was informed that the t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
About two months ago, my car began using excessive amounts of oil. Each time, I replaced the oil, the oil check light would come on after two weeks. I had the gasket replaced in the month of June, 2023. On July 2, 2023, on my way home from work, my vehicle began losing power. When I pulled over and turned the car off, it would not restart. When it did, it did not have power and it began to shake. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
Cylinder 3 misfire, combustion gases in coolant, coolant consumption but no leak, probable failed head gasket
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
May 5th 2023 my car was broken in to.The back passenger window was broken out and the steering column was tour out .The car was undrivable. The car was towed May 18th to Nalley Hyundai.I just got my car back today Aug 11. I understand Hyundai is suing TikTok I was given a number.She said when they go to court.When .
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
The tie rod (steering) randomly disconnected causing loss of steering at 10mph.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
I have taken my car to mechanic and they have told me that my car is leaking gasoline. They recommended that I go to the dealer. When I called the dealer they told me that I would have to pay for the diagnosis. This is obviously concerning as gasoline fumes are toxic. There has been no warning lamps turned on this whole time but can definitely smell it when I finish my ride.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
While traveling on a busy interstate highway, my Tesla 3 presented four errors on the control screen: Automatic Emergency Braking disabled, Power reduced, Vehicle shutting down and Unable to drive. The left hand side of the screen flashed red and instructed me to pull over safely. The car was immediately slowing down, and as I was in heavy traffic, I was unable to pull over to the shoulder safely.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
While using adaptive cruise control on 2023 Tesla Model Y we experienced multiple instances of emergency braking (rapid deceleration w/o touching brakes, accelerator steering column, etc.) without any warning during multiple scenarios - dusk, daylight, sunny and cloudy weather. Occurred on both straight and curved sections of highway with no other vehicles in front of vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
While using adaptive cruise control on 2023 Tesla Model Y we experienced multiple instances of emergency braking (rapid deceleration w/o touching brakes, accelerator steering column, etc.) without any warning during multiple scenarios - dusk, daylight, sunny and cloudy weather. Occurred on both straight and curved sections of highway with no other vehicles in front of vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2023
While using adaptive cruise control on 2023 Tesla Model Y we experienced multiple instances of emergency braking (rapid deceleration w/o touching brakes, accelerator steering column, etc.) without any warning during multiple scenarios - dusk, daylight, sunny and cloudy weather. Occurred on both straight and curved sections of highway with no other vehicles in front of vehicle.