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: Sep 30, 2023
Steering is very jerky/choppy - vehicle is hard to keep straight while driving on freeway.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
Sharp jolting of the vehicle when going from second to third gear constantly
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
I am having electrical issues with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata plus the other recalls. It started as issues with the lights on the driver side. I have replaced several bulbs and the entire light even and still have issues with the lights working properly. Now the issue is the battery, alternator or the starter. The starter had to be replaced as I was advised by Hyundai dealership when my engine had to... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
Power Steering and Advancetrac
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-up camera image was very blurry and created a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V252000 (Back Over Preventio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V The contact stated that the instrument cluster failed to show the fuel mileage or the mileage on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
Driver's door, left front, check strap broke at weld inside of door. Door pops real loud when you open it. The door came open today driving down the road I couldn't get it to shut.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Since I have had the vehicle I have had to have multiple Spark Plugs and Engine Coils replaced, literally every 4-6 months. One diagnosis said there was a problem with the motor, when I told Kia, they did not come back with the same diagnosis, well they sort of did, but did not noter it as an issue. Also, my car burns oil way too fast. I'm having to put in 2-23 quarts every 2-3 weeks. I have been ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Since I have had the vehicle I have had to have multiple Spark Plugs and Engine Coils replaced, literally every 4-6 months. One diagnosis said there was a problem with the motor, when I told Kia, they did not come back with the same diagnosis, well they sort of did, but did not noter it as an issue. Also, my car burns oil way too fast. I'm having to put in 2-23 quarts every 2-3 weeks. I have been ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Since I have had the vehicle I have had to have multiple Spark Plugs and Engine Coils replaced, literally every 4-6 months. One diagnosis said there was a problem with the motor, when I told Kia, they did not come back with the same diagnosis, well they sort of did, but did not noter it as an issue. Also, my car burns oil way too fast. I'm having to put in 2-23 quarts every 2-3 weeks. I have been ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I have owned the vehicle for 10 months and it had about 80,000 miles on it. The engine light started flashing 2 days ago. The vehicle started running rough, so I drove 10 miles back home at no more than 40 mph. I took the vehicle to my trusted mechanic. He conducted a diagnostic test & received a code 1326, which meant there was a vibration indicating excessive connecting rod bearing wear. He advi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The car will cannot be charge as per advertised. It's stop charging after 45 min. and keeps repeating. Took the vehicle to dealership and they cannot solve the problem. I also wrote a letter to Kia of America via certified mail but no respond.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
High beams do no turn on, however, the light indicator on the dash is on.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
Intermittent warnings of ABS system needing maintenance while driving. No known cause or correlation to type of road/weather conditions. Intermittent ABS failure affects ability to use cruise control. This started when the truck was at 52k miles. This has been happening for over a year now and we have been told that there is an indefinite timeframe for repair due to massive back orders.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
Intermittent warnings of ABS system needing maintenance while driving. No known cause or correlation to type of road/weather conditions. Intermittent ABS failure affects ability to use cruise control. This started when the truck was at 52k miles. This has been happening for over a year now and we have been told that there is an indefinite timeframe for repair due to massive back orders.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
Engine shutoff instantly while traveling at approximately 50MPH on a highway. We were able to coast to the shoulder. There was no warning, the engine just shut off instantly while driving. It would not restart and we could not even shift out of park to move the truck off the highway shoulder. Truck was towed to my home at my expense and is not movable due to this issue.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
Engine shutoff instantly while traveling at approximately 50MPH on a highway. We were able to coast to the shoulder. There was no warning, the engine just shut off instantly while driving. It would not restart and we could not even shift out of park to move the truck off the highway shoulder. Truck was towed to my home at my expense and is not movable due to this issue.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
No problems prior to today. 22500 miles on vehicle. Delivered Nov 2021. Got in car to drive to work today, and power steering would not work. Error message on the car display stated there was a power steering failure. Put the car in park, waited about a minute, and tried again, and it worked. I see that there is a NHTSA investigation looking into this, so I wanted to let you know about ... Read more
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
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
Vehicle would suddenly slam on breaks when breaking and stalled changing gears. We have had it looked at and it is in engine failure - the vehicle is only 3 years old.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Vehicle would suddenly slam on breaks when breaking and stalled changing gears. We have had it looked at and it is in engine failure - the vehicle is only 3 years old.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated during cold starts, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. ... 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
My car has a recall from the driver airbag maynot deployed. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership for fixing my car, I dropped off my car. 20 minutes later they call me and said it’s not available to get fix. I asked them what should I do, they said they don’t know. I called to the Recall center, they asked me to call to Toyota Brand. Then the girl at Toyota brand told me to call to t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
I have taken the car in since first oil change with an electrical issue. It still has not been resolved. The abs light, air bag, start stop and seat belt lights and sounds would go off. Potentially causing a whole host of issues. There is still no fix and this will be for fourth time I have taken it the dealer.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
TECHNICIAN - Was unable to perform test drive of vehicle. Inspected operation & found; Vehicle will not turn over, battery very weak. Removed battery, put on charger for approximately 45 minutes. Reinstalled battery. Vehicle had power but did not start. Was unable to get shifter into neutral. Found engine still not turning over. Found starter motor making clicking sounds. Got to turn over once b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
2015 has a bad ABS Modulator fail (Solenoid valve). My car only has ~75k miles. It seems this is a common error with 2010-2015 Honda Accords and presents a safety concern. Honda has not issued a recall.
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
Electrical connections not sealed at horn assembly leads to corrosion and horn to stop functioning.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Electrical connections not sealed at horn assembly leads to corrosion and horn to stop functioning.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
1st safety related incident discovered December 27th, 2021, rear window defroster stopped working. Checked rear fuse block as the owner's manual had listed that the fuse would be located there. Visual observation of fuse block showed rear heater fuse had blown and the area around the fuse discolored and melted. Remedy was dealership replacing rear fuse block and given back with no explanation why... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
Vehicle susceptible to water leaks inside the electrical system from the outside causing error messages
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
In November 2022 we discovered that both brackets holding the front nose piece to the frame had broken away. Then we discovered the wall on the front passenger side of the Motorhome had pulled away from the floor and left an inch gap between the floor and the wall. We were able to temporarily fix it until we arrived home and it sits in our driveway. Thinking maybe the broken brackets had caused th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
We have had multiple incidents on this MY16 Subaru Outback draining the battery over the past several years. Sometimes the battery is dead after a couple or few days of driving. There seems to be a battery / electrical management (current draw when vehicle if off) issue as noted in multiple incidents and there was even a class action lawsuit. The SW update associated didn't resolve the issue. O... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
When driving in extreme cold (ambient temperatures of -35 or colder) and I reach a speed of 50mph or higher, my engine fails. The dealership refuses to resolve this issue. I am listing the first time this happened, although it is an ongoing issue.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Car has always refused to accelerate if gas pedal is pushed down too quickly. Just before 60K miles, on way home we had pulled over at a roadside stop on a hill. Tried to pull across highway to continue up road, car refused to accelerate and luckily were able to brake in time to keep from getting t-boned by big truck heading down the hill. No trouble lights came on, so weren't sure if this was ope... Read more
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 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 Hybrid system has twice now failed on this vehicle shortly after starting it up. The second incident, I drove not even 300 feet, got onto a main, very busy road, and the system made a loud grinding noise, error messages came on the infotainment system and dash and the car stopped moving. It basically stalled without stalling. I was nearly hit from behind but thankfully a quick thinking pedestr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
I backed out of my drive and began to go forward. Five times in my 2023 Kia Niro HEV within one block the dashboard began to flash red, beeping sounds were emitted, and then the brakes slammed rapidly bringing the car to a stop. My attempts to accelerate were futile until the car let me accelerate about 5 -10 seconds later.. There was absolutely nothing in front of me or to the sides of me or an... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
There were emergency lights on dashboard all of a sudden for Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Brakes, Collision Warning and lane departure warning. These functions aren’t functioning all of a sudden and claims to need attention although the car is only 6 years old
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
My grandmothers vehicle has had an intermittent loss of power steering while driving at slow speeds and is a serious safety concern, the safety recall I had found "14S05" is exactly what's goin on with her vehicle and it matches up exactly to the recall down to the assembly plant other than her vehicle was assembled a year after the recall, but yet these symptoms of this recall is exactly what she... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
My grandmothers vehicle has had an intermittent loss of power steering while driving at slow speeds and is a serious safety concern, the safety recall I had found "14S05" is exactly what's goin on with her vehicle and it matches up exactly to the recall down to the assembly plant other than her vehicle was assembled a year after the recall, but yet these symptoms of this recall is exactly what she... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
I was driving along the interstate and noticed the vehicle swerving side to side and it was not due to my driving. It was as if the steering was going out or rather I was unable to keep the vehicle under control. I was having to work extra hard to keep the car in the correct lane. I was about 45 minutes from home but no where to pull over due to construction on the interstate. So I just tried goin... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
While driving vehicle, car lost power and show down on highway. Car would not start. Eventually started and sputtered white smoke and the smell of fuel. Car would only go 2 miles and hour. Took to dealership and they said it was the fuel injector pump. No recall has been issued even though several other Hyundai and Genesis i models have recalls for same issue.
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
I purchased a new 2014 Ford Focus Electric (FFE) in 2014. I have learned since then that every FFE develops a high voltage battery, the battery that powers the electric motor, coolant leak at no more than 80,000 miles, rendering the car inoperable. Ford will not repair the leak and will only sell a replacement battery. Ford has not issued a recall and is allowing the cooling system for a batter... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V483000 (Steering); 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experience... 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