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: Jun 1, 2023
Was driving the vehicle home and while driving I heard a loud pop and a thump. Had the vehicle towed home to see that the real differential bolt had sheared off the head!
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I was recently involved in a front side swipe accident where a person ran a red light and hit me while I was passing through an intersection. The impact was all in the front of the vehicle where the air bag had deployed. The air bag caught on fire within seconds after it had deployed. Thankfully I was conscious to where I was able to unbuckle my seat belt quickly and someone came to my aid quickly... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
THEY HAVE TIMING CHAIN ISSUES . THE BALANCE SHAFTS ABD TIMING CHSIN SPROCKETS FAIL AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE . THIS IS MY 3RD ML350 TO HAVE THE ENGINE GO OUT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THE MANUFACTURER COULDBE PREVENTED IF IT WAS RECALLED YEARS AGO IF YOU DONT BELIEVE THEN RESEARCH IT THANK YOU
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
My passenger side low beam Headlamp stopped working in Nov 2022. I had a "check headlamp" warning light. I took it to the dealer on 12/09/22. They stated that they found code B155A:96 requiring replacement of the LED control module, requiring part #JX7Z-13C788-L (total cost $1112.25). Headlamp was operational approx 1 week. Returned to the dealership 12/16 with a non-functioning light. They insta... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
I have had the previous recall for my rear camera/display screen repaired in 08/2022. However, recently I have had my display screen start to glitch and turn off intermittently. Sometimes this happens while I am driving. Other times is happens while I am in reverse and the reverse camera does not work. When the reverse camera is not functioning there is concern for unseen dangers. I have videos o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
We have experienced several episodes of the car suddenly breaking for no reason when using cruise control. The speed is very quickly reduced a good 15 mph without warning.this is not only very alarming as drivers/passengers but it is incredibly dangerous. If there was a car following closely behind us, they would have hit us.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
While driving the front end suspension slips, bounces up and down very harshly, tires slip, squeak, and slide in an hard to control way, sometimes into oncoming traffic when in slightly damp conditions an on roads with any amount of bumps, to the point that I need to drive extremely slow to avoid danger which in turn puts my and my passengers and my kids in danger by goin to slow in regards to the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
While driving the front end suspension slips, bounces up and down very harshly, tires slip, squeak, and slide in an hard to control way, sometimes into oncoming traffic when in slightly damp conditions an on roads with any amount of bumps, to the point that I need to drive extremely slow to avoid danger which in turn puts my and my passengers and my kids in danger by goin to slow in regards to the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
When vehicle is in cruise control or autopilot the car will suddenly brake without warning. It will do this numerous times and could cause an accident if a vehicle is following close behind.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
3 months after purchasing my 2022 honda civic, I started to experience problems with my steering. At first, I thought it was because it was a new car and was stiffer but other people driving my car told me it was not normal. I can explain it has a sticky feeling in the steering driving past 30-40 mph. It becomes hard to keep in my lane as I am always jerking it back and forth as it steers off and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
I have a 2013 ford edge and I was driving at 40=45 mph and when I came up to a light the brake peddle went to the floor and was very hard to stop. The result was me having to leave the road to the right to avoid a collision. I took it to ford who stated it needed a brake booster and said my vehicle doesn't qualify for an extended warranty on the booster. Car had 88k miles at time of incident.prio... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
No oil dip stick. The engine sucks a qt of oil every 2 weeks without leaks and due to the lack oem dip stick not in if you overfill your oil you’ll get bad spark plugs.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
Shift to park feature has starting failing. Causing several issues, the vehicle won’t let you turn it off or lock it. It is does not register that it is in park making it a hazard. There has been a high rise of this exact issue.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
I was driving my vehicle down the road and the vehicle just shut off. This was dangerous and could have cost my son and I our lives. I have spoken with many mechanics and they state that this car has issues with oil consumption This model vehicle has been reported to have a major oil consumption issues. The oil is dissolved within the engine.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The crankshaft broke due to abnormal wear the cars mileage is 102000 the check engine light never cam on it died in the middle of the freeway with no warning at all
Incident date: May 21, 2023
I was driving this vehicle, a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid this evening, July 7th. The battery was operating on a charge of 1% and the gas tank was 1/3 full. I charged the battery earlier this morning but only for several minutes. This is a rental vehicle I have used for the last week with no problems. Vehicle was idle for about 3 hours prior to this incident. After starting the car at about 8:30... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Backing up in a parking lot with direct sun behind the car, lost sight via the mirrors, dashboard camera and parking assist and collided with parking bollard approximately 3' high causing extensive damage to the left, rear quarter panel and wheel well. Parking assist didn't beep, blare or other as it does and has for our yard waste bins and garden cart at the edges of our driveway (backing up in t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
While driving in snow storm I had to pull over and I noticed lights were covered with snow . LED lights will not produce heat to melt snow The lip above and the ledge below traps the snow and with the way the headlights are set up the snow sticks on the lights which affects visibility creating a safety issue. Same thing happens in rain. I have been to a parts store and a mechanic shop Both shop... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
On [XXX], while driving on a highway with two young children, the dashboard lit up with multiple lights and error warnings. This appeared without warning and with no incident, and the warnings included the main hybrid screen reading “Check PCS System”, triangular Master Warning Light, Brake System Warning Light, Brake Warning Buzzer, ABS Warning Light, and Slip Indicator. We immediately pulled... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
I noticed a gasoline smell coming from my car. After taking it in to be examined, it was discovered that the fuel tank had a leak in it - right next to the exhaust pipe. A disaster waiting to happen.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
While driving on interstate with defog operating, I heard a loud pop and one of the rear window panels had shattered. Apparently this is a common issue, yet Ford has not issued a recall.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
On 15 JUN 2023, my Super Tenere experienced total loss of rear brakes during vehicle operation in traffic, almost resulting in an accident. There was no vehilce annunciation of loss of brakes or ABS failure. Vehicle-specific forums show that this has happened to at least 5 other operators since 2014. The vehicle anti-lock braking system (ABS) pump fails in a manner that allows air ingression in ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
We put our truck into a dealership recall for passenger airbag. Next day while driving truck started to buck in middle of traffic had to pull over. No reverse or forward. Waited and then the problem left. Truck is not repaired brought it to a transmission shop has Converter damage.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
The car facing Air bag light ON few days ago. Mechanical Shop inspect the car the scan shows code B1490 ( PODA ( Passenger Occupant Detecting System) Sensor (Bladder) defect Contact the Hyundai Customer care to check if there is any extend warranty on the this part, they said NO, open case # 21683569
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse. 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 made aware of the issue. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
The SRV 4WDR light is still coming on after getting the recall work done on the PTU at the Fox jeep dealership today. A spline was replaced I think. Recall 45A. I believe the whole PTU is bad.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
My car was set on navigate on autopilot, and normally it decreases speed when detecting change in speed limit. But for last couple of times, it's been not decreasing speed. On july 4th, 2023, I was driving and it did not change the speed limit based on the changes on the road. The speed limit had changed from 60 to 55, and it didn't change in the car. Also, Tesla just abruptly slowed down multip... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle lost motive power and the system off warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel then became firm. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle lost motive power and the system off warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel then became firm. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
I was driving the speed limit with the adaptive cruise control engaged on I-95 in Maine with no one in front of to the sides of me. All of a sudden without warning my car brakes on the middle of the highway. I regained control right after and did not use the adaptive cruise control for the rest of the drive.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Steering stopped working while driving. Previous year had a recall for this issue and my truck was not included. This is an ongoing problem and the part needed to fix it is unavailable.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Cooling fan stopped working. I was told by the Nissan dealership this is a big issue with this specific vehicle and that it’s hard to get the part because this is always an issue. No messages appeared. My AC stopped working and I took it to the dealership were they said if I drive with the cooling fan broken it will explode. How is this not a recall? This has been reproduced by ALL Nissan dealer... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2023
The car was on enhanced auto pilot and was moving at about 50 mph, the traffic in front of me slowed down. The car failed to give an alert, it failed to slow down and stop. I applied the breaks, but by then the car crashed into the pick-up truck in front of me. The car came to a complete stop after the crash and the computer system in the car completely shut down. The car had to be towed to the g... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 27, 2023
On May 20,2023 my 2019 Hyundai Santa Ultimate turbo died while I was sitting at a red light in the far right lane in an extremely busy street. Car was running perfectly fine prior to it dying. For almost 15 mins my car wouldn’t turn over. Then it just started it right up. Took it home my husband checked for any codes, nothing. I checked the Blue Link app, no issues detected. On June 29th at app... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2023
I got off work and was on my way to the pharmacy to pick up a very critical medication. When I got to the destination I was not able to turn off my car the key was stuck in the ignition and the car was in running mode I could not turn it. I struggled with it for about 20 minutes and eventually had to leave the car running unattended to go in and and get the medication. Thankfully the car was still... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado that has issues with the transmission slipping into different gears as well as hard violent jerking even on the freeway ,and I heard hard rumbling in my transmission burnt out with only 76,000 miles, it's like they're designed to go out.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Tesla has serious safety issues automatic emergency, braking Blindspot warning, Lane, departure warning, and other basic safety features which are very common in the cars these days. I purchased Tesla for my teenage child. In past three months we have encountered multiple instances where Tesla was not able to perform as promised this morning I was driving tesla loaner Vehicle when I was heading t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
At approximately 9:30pm CST Saturday June 17th my 2023 Honda CRV Sport Touring has a rapid loss of power while travelling on the I-55 expressway in Illinois before the Weber Rd exit. Received critical engine failure error message and transmission failure error message. Final error was emission system error. Engine block was shaking severely - car could not move. Car towed to dealership where p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
At approximately 9:30pm CST Saturday June 17th my 2023 Honda CRV Sport Touring has a rapid loss of power while travelling on the I-55 expressway in Illinois before the Weber Rd exit. Received critical engine failure error message and transmission failure error message. Final error was emission system error. Engine block was shaking severely - car could not move. Car towed to dealership where p... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
My vehicle is unable to fuel up, when attempting to fuel at the pump the fuel will build up in the filler neck causing the pump ti stop and fuel spill out from the filler neck and when driven, fuel will begin to leak from the EVAP canister located on the right rear of the vehicle. Dealership is unwilling to correct this issue as it is a known issue to them of the problem
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
While driving on the freeway at a speed of 72 MPH thr speed limit was 75 MPH used cruse control no vehicles are onfront of me and it did a sudden brake and went to 0 luckily escaped from life threat behind me other vehicle was their that driver handled well if not it would have effected worse. Happend couple of time since I was new Tesla I thought I was not handling properly serious life threat is... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
My 2014 Subaru Forester constantly burning oil. I have taken my car to Tyson’s Subaru multiple times when within warranty, they conducted multiple consumption test, admitted it burns oil but not enough to fix under warranty. I have my car in and out of the shop since 70-80k and now burning more oil at 140k. I sent this complaint to Subaru of America: MY 2014 HAS BEEN BURNING OIL SINCE 70,00... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
My ABS system has gone out two times since I’ve had the truck. I’m original owner of The 2018. Repaired once under warranty and now at my cost. I feel it’s unusual and unsafe for this to happen in only 80,000 miles
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
Low beam headlights do not provide enough light for night driving. Just purchased a used Acura RDX with 100k miles for my daughter and I do not feel that it's safe to let her drive after dark. This appears to be a known issue with the RDX ranging 2013-2015 and I'm surprised to see there have been 0 recalls for this obvious safety issue. Hope this writeup is the one that tips the scales to force a ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
After filling up with gas car shut off 1/2 mile causing loss of power steering. Restarted and did the same thing about 1/2 mile again
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The electric pushbutton would not function. I have a standard transmission and I let the clutch out too soon by accident. It killed the engine but the electrical components stayed on, such as lights, interior dash gauge, air conditioning, radio, everything else functioned as if the car were on and running however, i couldn't start the vehicle and the push button did not generate any response from ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The electric pushbutton would not function. I have a standard transmission and I let the clutch out too soon by accident. It killed the engine but the electrical components stayed on, such as lights, interior dash gauge, air conditioning, radio, everything else functioned as if the car were on and running however, i couldn't start the vehicle and the push button did not generate any response from ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
Phantom braking issue- Brakes were automatically applied while driving on open highway with no other vehicles around. Autopilot was in use, speed set to limit of 75 mph.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
Phantom braking issue- Brakes were automatically applied while driving on open highway with no other vehicles around. Autopilot was in use, speed set to limit of 75 mph.