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: May 27, 2023
The car will NOT start with a ESC warranty
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
Third break light is out caused by corrosion of the wires. The corrosion is the result of a water leak that is caused by a defective body seal on the roof of the cab.
Incident date: May 26, 2023
On a clear sunny day driving on the freeway at 75mph on a 70mph speed limit, the regular cruise control(not Autopilot) was engaged. Experienced 4 separate incidents of strong emergency brakes being activated by the vehicle automatically for 2-3 secs, dropping speed by 10-15mph. As the driver I disengaged the cruise control by strongly accelerating the vehicle. Also multiple incidents of brakes ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
UNKNOWN cause for short battery life. The battery has been changed 4-5 times since 2020 with a brand new battery. The alternator has been checked and is fine. The dealership is going to check my vehicle again but this is an issue for multiple people with the same vehicle model.
Incident date: May 26, 2023
I have a 2016 Jeep Wrangler that I purchased in 2017. The vehicle does not have over 45,000 miles on it...yet it would not crank.....when it finally cranked, within a few feet it completely shut down....the dealer stated that it was the TIPM. that needs to be replaced.....after reading the complaint comments on several sites...I wanted to know why this part has not been recalled to date. This rep... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
While in cruise control, the car suddenly reduced its speed; there is no obstacle in the path of the cat that would warrant such an action. This deceleration is sudden and violent and when it happens is dangerous for following drivers.
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Tesla refused my Lemon Law surrender and claims there's nothing wrong with the car once again, big surprise! They messed up my dashcam during fake service regardless of legally consenting to being video and audio recorded (VERY clear NOTICE stickers on the doors) when entering the vehicle which I own; it is NOT leased. Consent is important, without consent things become crimes. Like if a flight at... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Tesla refused my Lemon Law surrender and claims there's nothing wrong with the car once again, big surprise! They messed up my dashcam during fake service regardless of legally consenting to being video and audio recorded (VERY clear NOTICE stickers on the doors) when entering the vehicle which I own; it is NOT leased. Consent is important, without consent things become crimes. Like if a flight at... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Tesla refused my Lemon Law surrender and claims there's nothing wrong with the car once again, big surprise! They messed up my dashcam during fake service regardless of legally consenting to being video and audio recorded (VERY clear NOTICE stickers on the doors) when entering the vehicle which I own; it is NOT leased. Consent is important, without consent things become crimes. Like if a flight at... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Second 2022 ram 2500 tradesman and front end shimming at all speeds. Brakes go to floor. Radio, heater doesn't work all the time. Has a ticking sound until it warms up. Been in shop many times for problems
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Second 2022 ram 2500 tradesman and front end shimming at all speeds. Brakes go to floor. Radio, heater doesn't work all the time. Has a ticking sound until it warms up. Been in shop many times for problems
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Hello it's me for the 500th time. I was sitting at a light when a new song came on that's actually a movie clip from Pulp Fiction directed by [XXX] about hitmen that kill people that speak out, like whistleblowers; for their boss. So I'm sitting at the light and the cars behind me are all glitching between 3 lanes but nobody is moving and my volume is up and it starts 'yelling' "STORING DEAD [XXX]... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Hello, me again. Been having ALOT of trouble with voice text when trying to respond to my wife at the stop light. I started telling her about how a white Cadillac escalade almost crashed into me and all the safety features 'randomly' disabled themselves while driving and I'm late because I tried to keep eyes on the car while the local PD dispatched and had to drive further than I intended but I ev... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Hello, me again. Been having ALOT of trouble with voice text when trying to respond to my wife at the stop light. I started telling her about how a white Cadillac escalade almost crashed into me and all the safety features 'randomly' disabled themselves while driving and I'm late because I tried to keep eyes on the car while the local PD dispatched and had to drive further than I intended but I ev... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms p... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
2022 Dodge Ram 2500- Consumer complains dealership will not resolve his issue with recalls ZA3 ZD4, ZA3 13A, and ZA3, because the parts are not available. Dealership told consumer they will notify once they are. Consumer parks vehicle outdoors for the past 7 months for fear of fire. Dealership name and address info listed. Recalls in reference to transmission, elec. short in relay, & side airbag c... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal remained on the floorboard. The vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was restarted but the failure persisted. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mecha... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Was driving when vehicle produced an error message that said it was powering down. Coasted on interstate to a stop. Was not able to restart vehicle. Appears to be a common issue with this model, extremely dangerous.
Incident date: May 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that when she was near her vehicle, she noticed that the driver's side window was down. The contact stated that she could not roll the window up. The contact stated that over the next month, the other three windows were lowered and could not be rolled up. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlights had failed, and she had them rep... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2023
Dealer found thermostat housing leak and recommended housing and pump replacement at a cost of over $2K. Thermostat is housing leak could cause loss of coolant which could strand you in the middle of the road. There were no warning lamps active. This appears to be a common issue with these vehicles. The thermostat should not be having problems like this at this mileage. The component has not been ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2023
My vehicle says parking brake limited function and it won't move.
Incident date: May 16, 2023
When using the automated cruise control or full self driving, it will unexpectedly phantom brake. Seems to happen more when there is full sun. I have the latest updates. Did much better when cloudy, but it would still phantom break a few times during a 12 hour trip. But when in full sun, it did brake 10+ times.
Incident date: May 2, 2023
When using the automated cruise control or full self driving, it will unexpectedly phantom brake. Seems to happen more when there is full sun. I have the latest updates. Did much better when cloudy, but it would still phantom break a few times during a 12 hour trip. But when in full sun, it did brake 10+ times.
Incident date: May 2, 2023
I recently took a trip home to Pennsylvania (I live in Alabama) to visit family. A few days into my trip I noticed a rattle sound coming from my rear passenger side wheel. It was only noticeable at low speeds but it sounded like the wheel hub may have been lose or perhaps a stone had made it inside the center hub. I take immaculate care of my vehicle and it is still under the manufacturer new vehi... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Veloster. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V132000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while parking on a city street at approximately 3 MPH, the contact engaged the Revers... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated while at a stop light and attempting to accelerate the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle then lunged forward and jerked. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in N... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2023
MCU1 onboard computer system becomes overloaded with data that eventually and periodically causes the computer system to "crash" and requires a reboot, even with 8 GB eMMC replacement having already been installed. This means that vehicles with MCU1 (generally model S and X manufactured pre-2019) are increasingly becoming safety risks on the road because the MCU1 system crash can occur at any time... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2023
Blind spot detection system has frequent false alerts when no vehicles are present. Also, it often does not activate when a vehicle IS present. Totally unreliable and a safety risk if depended upon. As you can see in the attached photo, there are no vehicles in my blind spot yet the light continues to come on. He will often not come on when cars are present.
Incident date: May 17, 2023
Blind spot detection system has frequent false alerts when no vehicles are present. Also, it often does not activate when a vehicle IS present. Totally unreliable and a safety risk if depended upon. As you can see in the attached photo, there are no vehicles in my blind spot yet the light continues to come on. He will often not come on when cars are present.
Incident date: May 24, 2023
Water leak intrusion from rear lights over back window causing electrical issue with back side windows working properly. The windows role down when raining. Water also runs inside the vehicle and collects under the rear seating causing dampness and a Mildew smell.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
While driving in cruise control, NOT AUTOPILOT, my car phantom braked. The road was clear, the weather was clear. I'm thankful there was not a car behind me. I was doing the speed limit at the time 70mph when the incident occurred. the date lised below is an approximate date. It has occurred several times. I drive 45 minutes to work Mon-Thurs and cruise control helps for the long drive
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact’s girlfriend then coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine neede... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle independently stopped. The contact stated that the brake pedal had not been depressed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2023
After filling up my gas tank I went to start driving again and my vehicle stalled out. It did this several more times.
Incident date: May 24, 2023
There are four lights with a warning that shows up and stay on Check Brake, Power Steering, ABS and VBS Systems. These four lights occurs immediately or even occasionally delayed but they appear everytime my vehicle is running. It is the VSA System per service repair shop. This is a known problem for the Honda Civic 2013 and also Honda Accord. My concern is when these lights are present there is a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The engine light on my 2015 VW Jetta Hybrid was enabled and my car stuttered and stopped while idling at stop lights, and in some cases projected my car forward slightly while pressing the brake. I brought my vehicle for diagnosis and was told that the cause was failure from the mechatronics unit and that my car should essentially be scrapped since they cannot locate a replacement part. I understa... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2023
Car is at 56K mileage. I was at a stop light engine was running, when I took my foot off the brake and tried to accelerate the engine died, the dashboard flashed a collision warning, (there were no cars or animals near my car), then all the screens dashboard behind steering wheel and on middle console all went blank. I restarted the car and made it home fine. Drove the car the next day for seve... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2023
Car is at 56K mileage. I was at a stop light engine was running, when I took my foot off the brake and tried to accelerate the engine died, the dashboard flashed a collision warning, (there were no cars or animals near my car), then all the screens dashboard behind steering wheel and on middle console all went blank. I restarted the car and made it home fine. Drove the car the next day for seve... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
The ABS and Traction lights intermittently come on and blink non stop. Also, a "Service Antilock Brake System" and a "Service Electronic Braking System " message scrolls through the dashboard screen with an audible alarm. The truck was inspected on September 2nd of 2020 and parts 05400701- Control unit, Brake anti-lock hydraulic and part 68143491AA- Control Antilock Braking System were replaced un... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
The car had been preconditioned and driven within 45 minutes of my starting a route to the gym, all surface streets/neighborhood. I was in electric mode. I came to a stop at an intersection and when the light turned green, I pulled into the intersection to turn left and the car stalled. No power, no power steering. I put it in park and tried to restart in sport (ICE) mode and nothing happenned... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
Cam carrier leak-unreliable car-detected and confirmed by Subaru dealership-no warning lights-appears to be an issue for many Subaru vehicles
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The 2013 Acura TL has a problem with the pistons in the engine causing excessive oil consumption. This was the subject matter of a class action described in the website Acura Oil Consumption Settlement. This part should be recalled and American Honda should be required to repair or replace the pistons in the engine.
Incident date: May 24, 2023
I have been a Lyft driver for over 2 years, and because of the mileage I put on mile personal vehicle. I had to result to renting a vehicle from Lyft Flex Drive Rental, located at 2214 Century Center Blvd Irving, TX 75062. 0n 05/15/2023 at approximately 8:15 p.m. Right after dropping off passenger, and on my way to pick up another one. The vehicle mentioned hereof suddenly blew up out of no where... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 24, 2023
While at a stoplight on a 45 degree morning with rear defroster on back window shattered outward with no warning or impact
Incident date: May 22, 2023
On May 22, 2023 driving south on I-580 through Reno with the Tesla adaptive cruise control, there's a 55mph construction zone. As a result, I use the right scroll wheel to adjust the speed from 65 to 55mph. The scroll wheel didn't work. As a result, I turned off the cruise control with the right steering wheel stalk. At the same time, I noticed the vehicle speed indicator on the upper left of t... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2023
On May 12, 2023 when driving through Albuquerque, NM on I-40 our panoramic sunroof exploded. As best we could tell, nothing hit it and there we no pressures changes as we were on the west side of Albuquerque headed west. Fortunately we did not have it open so no glass got in the car. We called our insurance after we stopped to buy plastic bags and tape to cover the damaged sunroof. Once we got... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheel) and 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of tim... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2023
Rt Side Day Running Light. This model Hyundai Genesis uses what is suposed to be an intermittent bulb / socket for turn signaling. In this 2015 model it is so it's on ALL THE TIME as driving lamp. Bulb overheats, burns out, scorches the socket. Bulbs now last less than 5 months. Dealer replaced scorched scoket and bulb today. $169.00 Not under warranty
Incident date: May 19, 2023
Vehicle at interstate speeds would periodically “phantom brake” on I-90 one a clear day with no other cars around. Experienced about 10 different phantom brake incidents betweeen Sioux Falls and rapid city
Incident date: May 19, 2023
There is oil coming from the brake booster vacuum pump into the brake booster. Caused the brake booster to fail. The recall stops in January but I think it should be extended