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: Jun 19, 2019
Driver's side door on my 2013 BMW X1 sDrive28i will not open using either the outside door handle or the inside door handle. The door locks open and close using either the remote key fob or the key inserted into the driver's side door, but the driver's side door will not physically open. The other doors, as well as the rear hatch, do open. The mechanical part of the door lock actuator that holds t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
I was parked and my car was on and my gas gauge was less the halfway (dashboard indicated about 70 miles left) then my steering wheel started shaking so I turned off the car. I tried restarting the car but it wouldn’t turn on. I got my jumper cables out because I thought the battery had died but it wouldn’t turn on after multiple attempts. I ran to the nearest gas station and got some gas, fil... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
I was parked and my car was on and my gas gauge was less the halfway (dashboard indicated about 70 miles left) then my steering wheel started shaking so I turned off the car. I tried restarting the car but it wouldn’t turn on. I got my jumper cables out because I thought the battery had died but it wouldn’t turn on after multiple attempts. I ran to the nearest gas station and got some gas, fil... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
Transmission will occasionally shift hard, “buck”, jerk and shake the vehicle. Problems also encountered when shifting from reverse to drive, when completely stopped, the vehicle will jerk and shake.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
Car stopped working on highway, took to dealer where we got it used a year prior. Shop said these engines are notorious for failure. They said the engine was needing to be replaced due to malfunction of vehicle
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
2018 Jeep Compass with OEM Bi-Xenon Headlights w/DRL. The right headlamp assembly bulb will frequently not turn on no matter what position you turn the headlights on to. Some days I am left with only driving with one operating headlight since the other won’t flicker on. This has been brought to my local dealership who found no source to problem.
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
Seat belts are fraying. The seatbelt in the second row on the driver side cannot be used because it has frayed and the tear is halfway through the width of the seat belt. The same issue is developing in the 3rd row on the passenger side. Audi is trying to charge us $1700 to replace the seatbelt in the second row alone.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
I received a recall for my vehicle months ago due to an airbag issue. The recall states there may be metal fragments in my airbag. This makes the car unsafe to drive. GMC still has no estimated time frame for when the parts will be available. I can’t afford to go out and buy another car while this one just sits. I don’t know how I’m getting my child to and from school starting the day after ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
Chevy traverse will just cut off all engine power while driving at highway speeds.It has happened multiple times with no root cause. This is very very dangerous.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
UNKNOWN Over the course of a couple weeks, engine has intermittently stalled while driving, forcing me to turn off the car in the middle of the road. Progressively, other electronics have also intermittent failed including power steering and infotainment system. All dashboard warning lights are on and do not resolve by turning car on/off. Generally, car is driveable until the random intermittent... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
I bought my car off of a friend who bought it pre-owned certified from a local ford dealer. The car had 59,000 miles on it and had the transmission already replaced by ford (the second transmission on the vehicle under 60,000). After having the vehicle a year I was driving home and the clutch in the transmission got stuck and the car would jolt me forward and when I would come to a complete stop i... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
When traveling the car does not accelerate properly sometimes losing power. Feels like engine might turn off. But removing foot from accelerator (gas pedal), then reapply, gets engine to respond, but very slowly. No warning messages.
TESLA
REARVIEW MIRROR
(9999) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 3, 2023
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
My lift gate has been failing since i bought it used from a local dealership. It's closed down on my mom's leg when she was situating luggage that she'd put in. It has tried closing on myself as well each time i opened it(4×) & when I tried to stop it by pushing up on it, it only forces itself down not up. This is very dangerous & had an old recall from GM motors due to the struts in the lift gat... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
On a round trip from Albuquerque, NM to Tucson, AZ, we experienced 8-10 instances of phantom braking in our 2020 Tesla Long-Range Model Y. The occurrences happened when the car was in adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance. Highway speed was typically 75 MPH, weather was sunny, and roads were clear. Overall, an unnerving experience!
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
Power steering light is on and possibly due to water penetration from recent heavy rainfall.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
Transfer case module… Transmission
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
We were hit on the passenger side of our car. Another car ran a red light and slammed into that side of our car. The front passenger sustained damage to their head, neck, back, shoulder and knee from the impact. The air bags did not deploy in the front or back seats, on the passenger side or the drivers side. The front passenger’s knee was bruised and scraped from the door colliding with their l... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
This has happened multiple times on Interstate 20. I will merge onto the interstate and my Rogue will lose power completely. I can have the gas pedal almost at the ground and there is no acceleration. The RPM will go up to 4 but literally no acceleration is happening. I can feel the car get to 60 and then it won’t go any faster. At times when idle at a red light or in a parking spot so many war... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
I want to bring 2 issues to your attention: First, with all the technology in vehicles today, I can't figure out why there isn't an audible warning if the lights aren't on at night and why they don't come on automatically when windshield wipers are turned on. I often find that I am driving without lights because either my wife or some valet turned them off from 'auto' without my knowledge. I... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
Over the last three weeks, there were 3 incidents where the emergency braking system spiked the brakes when there was no reason. There was one incident where the lane departure spiked the brakes for no reason. Over the first 5 years owning the vehicle, this never happened. The first incident was going around a curve on a 2-lane road I travel at least twice a day. It sometimes beeps for cars in t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
Pulled out of a side street Taylor onto a main highway 39 beach Blvd and car jolted and didn’t have much go. Seemed sluggish. Transmission mount bolt had snapped off and I could have been in a major accident because I had oncoming traffic coming at me when I merged into the street and lost power because of the incident.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
Pulled out of a side street Taylor onto a main highway 39 beach Blvd and car jolted and didn’t have much go. Seemed sluggish. Transmission mount bolt had snapped off and I could have been in a major accident because I had oncoming traffic coming at me when I merged into the street and lost power because of the incident.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
Loud beep then a warning that collision warning had been disabled and the side mirrorsno longer indicated someone was beside me. . First time it's done this and I was on the way to the dealer for service. I mentioned to him and he said it was probably the light rain we had and it had blocked the camera. On the way home it did the same thing and now it was sunny, clear and they had just washed my c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
Loud beep then a warning that collision warning had been disabled and the side mirrorsno longer indicated someone was beside me. . First time it's done this and I was on the way to the dealer for service. I mentioned to him and he said it was probably the light rain we had and it had blocked the camera. On the way home it did the same thing and now it was sunny, clear and they had just washed my c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
I have had several incidents where the car was not responding properly such as fob key unlocking car, even with brand new battery, I’d have to unlock car manually but alarm would go off for 10min+ then randomly stop and car would allow me turn it on. Sunroof wouldn’t work properly and get stuck. One night ( about 8/12) car lights turn on and off and power gate lift opens randomly and battery c... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
First I had an oil leak which I was advised to warm my car up to prevent from getting worse. At the time I was told it was minor. Then my oil light started coming up every 2 weeks and when checked there was no oil. Now 2 months later, my car has stopped and showed a blinking check engine light. When checked I was told a code of p1326 which is the knock sensor. I have only had my car 7 months and i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
On now three separate occasions, the vehicle has suddenly applied emergency braking force during cruising speeds in a residential area. I have noticed the incidents seem to occur when there is plenty of sunlight and high contrasting shadows being cast down on the road ahead. I have brought this up with my local Honda dealer to which they did not show concern and turn me away saying it was just a f... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while his wife was driving inside the parking lot of a gas station, the steering wheel seized and then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact stated that a bystander assisted with jumpstarting the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby Walmart and w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (Visibility, Electrical System). The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had the recall repair completed. The vehicle was repaired; however, four days after the repair, the air conditioning failed to operate properly. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, whe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Abs light comes on when under hard braking or traction control is used for slippery conditions
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Computer system failure ABS system not functioning causing driving functions not working. Problem continuously reproduced by independents and finally by Dealer. Dashboard lights on, engine, tracking, ABS, Brak and other lights. MPG reduced with speedometer down to zero while driving.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Computer system failure ABS system not functioning causing driving functions not working. Problem continuously reproduced by independents and finally by Dealer. Dashboard lights on, engine, tracking, ABS, Brak and other lights. MPG reduced with speedometer down to zero while driving.
Incident date: May 25, 2023
Warning that the cruise control function was not working. The the car would not go more the 5 miles an hour until it had switched out of 1st gear, it kept changing gears. I was scared to death of driving it. I had to use my emergency blinkers everytime I had to slow down and the try to regain speed. The transmission was making a clunk noise and the engine was reviving like crazy. I was afraid of b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns an Convaid Car Seat, Model Number: 3365, Model Type: Carrot 3, Manufactured Date: May 15, 2018. The car seat was being utilized in a 2022 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the release button on the crotch restraint buckle, where the two arm and chest belts buckled, were cracked into two pieces rendering the car seat unusable. The failure occurred inside of the vehicle. The ch... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns an Convaid Car Seat, Model Number: 3365, Model Type: Carrot 3, Manufactured Date: May 15, 2018. The car seat was being utilized in a 2022 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the release button on the crotch restraint buckle, where the two arm and chest belts buckled, were cracked into two pieces rendering the car seat unusable. The failure occurred inside of the vehicle. The ch... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
Rackin pinion, does not through engine light when issues arise, jerking, Lumbar in drivers set stop working, 120v outlet came out, water in back lumanis lamps, radio and all dash components do things on its own.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Vehicle has been consuming oil between oil changes. Recently the ABS, Down hill assist, and traction control lights came on. We took it to the dealer and were advised it was a wheel speed sensor in the passenger rear, but they wanted over $600 so we did not repair. Two days later all the lights went off and we had no issues. A month later I drove to Florida, checked and filled the oil with a lit... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
The Auto Idle Restart Feature has malfunctioned a number times and cars behind us have almost rear-ended us. With Eco mode on or off, a/c on or off, it doesn't seem to make a difference. When the vehicle has Auto Idle Restart enabled, the vehicle is stopped at a stop light, the engine turns off, and when the user presses the gas and releases the brake, the engine does not turn on. When the bra... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
It was a fateful day on June 16th, 2020 when our lives took an unexpected turn. Engaged in a peaceful drive, cruising at a steady 60mph with the assistance of the trusty cruise control, we were abruptly jolted towards the left, instantly relinquishing any grasp of control we had over our vehicle causing us to loose control and wreck our car in a corn field. Reason for mechanical failure unknown
Crash
2 injured
2 deaths
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
It was a fateful day on June 16th, 2020 when our lives took an unexpected turn. Engaged in a peaceful drive, cruising at a steady 60mph with the assistance of the trusty cruise control, we were abruptly jolted towards the left, instantly relinquishing any grasp of control we had over our vehicle causing us to loose control and wreck our car in a corn field. Reason for mechanical failure unknown
Crash
2 injured
2 deaths
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
We were hit from the side, in the front part of the drivers door at between 35-45 mph, by someone who ran a red light as we were turning right. The force rammed us head on into a telephone pole. The impact of the pole was just shy of the middle of the front bumper. None of the airbags deployed.Emergency personnel were shocked they hadn’t given the severity of the case and the double impact.
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Aug 2, 2023
The frame rotted in the middle of the vehicle causing an unsafe situation.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed again; however, the vehicle accelerated and failed to stop. The co... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
NHTSA number 18v845000 and 18v735000, my car is showing the same symptoms transmission and purge valve and should be included in these recalls
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
The BMW R18 B motorcycle is equipped with an adaptive headlight, which directs the headlight beam in the direction of the motorcycle's lean angle and handlebar rotation; however, the headlight has failed, where the reflective mirror pieces have fallen apart. The loose reflective pieces creates a dazzling effect in the direction of the light beam; this appears to be a high failure item on the R18 ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
Code 420106: Shiftlock Solenoid: selector wrongly not locked in park. 'Secure vehicle with parking brake when stationary' error message in I-drive. This is a very common issue with these vehicles, and BMW refused to help due to the labor cost involved. It's a $0.50 part and with labor the repair exceeds $2000. Essentially the vehicle does not realized if it is in park or not, and chimes at you to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Aug 31, 2023 Power steering failure. Aug 31, 2023 I started the vehicle, warning bell chimed, dash warning to "service power steering" appeared. Then dash warning, of vehicle stability control appeared. Steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. I shut the vehicle off and restarted, which momentarily cleared the problem. I backed out of the driveway and the problem described above returned ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
When I’m driving straight sometimes my lane assist will make the car swerve while my steering wheel is straight and even almost made me wreck into another car beside me trying to force the car to go right. Also the front crash assist goes off when I’m not even near a car. The front end of my car is rattling and I don’t know why.
Incident date: May 26, 2023
When I’m driving straight sometimes my lane assist will make the car swerve while my steering wheel is straight and even almost made me wreck into another car beside me trying to force the car to go right. Also the front crash assist goes off when I’m not even near a car. The front end of my car is rattling and I don’t know why.
Incident date: May 26, 2023
The vehicle will make a loud alarm and the dash will display "Brakes Booster Faulty". The vehicle then will brake itself regardless of where you are and brake pedal will not work properly. This could cause you to get rear-ended as the vehicle will simply stop!