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: Jul 16, 2023
I bought this vehicle few weeks ago from the Honda Bellevue, Washington state. After one week or more, all warning signal were presented and we could smell strong gasoline inside cabin when all windows were closed. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they couldn't figure out the problem but only updated the software for me. After the checkup, me and my family smelled gasoline twice. I am so w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The contact stated while driving at night, the low-beam headlights turned off and turned on independently, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V23200... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
8/2/23 3:15 p.m. While starting to accellerate from a 4 way stop, the vehicle suddenly displayed a large red icon on the dash and slammed on the brakes bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. It was quite a violent stop and had there been passengers in the vehicle, they could have been hurt. Also, had there been another vehicle behind me, I could have been rear ended. There was another vehicle ap... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
8/2/23 3:15 p.m. While starting to accellerate from a 4 way stop, the vehicle suddenly displayed a large red icon on the dash and slammed on the brakes bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. It was quite a violent stop and had there been passengers in the vehicle, they could have been hurt. Also, had there been another vehicle behind me, I could have been rear ended. There was another vehicle ap... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
I have several issues. My main concern is when turning on an incline (hill or mountain), my vehicles rpm's rev up and I am unable to stop it for several seconds. Sometimes, it will clunk and the rpms will go back to normal after sever seconds but most times the vehicle just jerks and the rpms come back down. I drive through a street with a 4 way stop very often and the issue happens every time. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Car suddenly stalled out and stopped. Restarted and stalled again, and several more times. Diagnosed with fuel pump failure.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
I own a 2015 Ram 1500 earlier this year I got a message on the vehicle indicating to service electronic braking system. The ABS light along with the Traction Control light and the Brake light came on at the same time. I took the vehicle to a mechanic to have it checked out. He indicated that the electronic braking module had failed and that it needed to be replaced. The part is not available anywh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Speed control set to 65MPH car suddenly stops , with nothing in front of it. I needed to step on accelerator to have car move forward. This has happened many times. Safety, I have notified Tesla, They have not corrected problem.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Camera is not working and was recalled. Cannot be fixed or repaired. I requested to trade my vehicle for another one at a Ford Dealership or for the pay off and was told I couldn't do anything due to the recall. I am essentially stuck with a vehicle that is unsafe and I don't feel comfortable driving. The camera turns blue in the middle of backing up and I could hit any object or person in the mi... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
Paint on roof of my 2013 Honda Pilot. First bubbled up the white paint - now 2 large areas the size of basketballs just above the front window. The paint has chipped off and the metal shows underneath. Have an appt to bring to dealer to inspect. Heard its common on 2013-14 Honda's in white. This brings down the value! My vehicle only has 100k.
Incident date: May 24, 2023
When coasting at low speeds the vehicle makes multiple click sounds and now there has been a clunking sound seems like when. Trying to downshift or upshift almost as it can't find a gear. When in a stoped position I put it in drive ease the gas and it will jump into gear. Has been multiple complaints about clicking and clinking with the vehicle and nothing fixing the problem unless ptu,transmissio... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
When coasting at low speeds the vehicle makes multiple click sounds and now there has been a clunking sound seems like when. Trying to downshift or upshift almost as it can't find a gear. When in a stoped position I put it in drive ease the gas and it will jump into gear. Has been multiple complaints about clicking and clinking with the vehicle and nothing fixing the problem unless ptu,transmissio... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The tether when tightened becomes loose when restraining the child in the harness buckle, making it unsafe. The child can easily crawl out of seat and would be ejected in case of accident. The harness is easily loosened when pulled forward, with no way to keep the harness pulled taught.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
I received delivery of my new 2023 Model Y at the end of June. About 2 weeks ago, I was driving with my child in the car and at a left turn light. When the light turned green, I attempted to turn and the steering wheel almost completely stopped working. It felt like it was totally locked and with all my force, I was able to turn the car about 10% to avoid running into oncoming traffic. There w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Toyota has installed several parts on my 2016 corolla that were previous years' parts. In previous complaints, the tires (under 11,000 miles) started to dry rot. When filing the warranty repair, the dealerships and Toyota tried to claim that it was normal. After deep investigation, it was found that the tires were actually over a YEAR older than the release of the vehicle. The tire warranty st... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
The steering wheel sticks at times. Driving straight and in turns. It's a slight stick, but increasingly more noticeable. While driving straight it happens if I don't touch the wheel for a few seconds. Then I'll need to make a minor correction and it's stuck. I have to put some decent pressure on the wheel to make it unstuck, which causes an over-correction. If i steadily make corrections it does... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The car has a tendency when I’m on rural highways to suddenly emergency brake when I have the auto pilot on
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
Dealer wants to replace rear lower control arms due to corrosion and the car control arms were never addressed when I took it into the dealer for recall 16V458. The dealer was supposed to add a anti corrosion spray to the control arms in the front and back. The corrosion is very bad with these parts on my car and I am very concerned about safety.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
8/1/23 - the Electronic center console display as well as the display behind the steering wheel continually fails. The center console controls all electronics such as defroster, heater, and of the advance safety features. The display behind the steering wheel controls the odometer, speed etc. The inability to control any vehicle functions is a huge safety risk. For example, the defroster can no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
8/1/23 - the Electronic center console display as well as the display behind the steering wheel continually fails. The center console controls all electronics such as defroster, heater, and of the advance safety features. The display behind the steering wheel controls the odometer, speed etc. The inability to control any vehicle functions is a huge safety risk. For example, the defroster can no... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2023
I experienced multiple dangerous phantom braking instances on Eastbound I10 between Van Horn and Ozona, Texas when the TACC system was in use. The car is on firmware 2023.20.9. There were no obstructions in the road and no traffic in front of the vehicle when the car suddenly braked going from 80mph to 50mph in a second before I could take control and accelerate. In two instances, cars were behind... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2023
Slipping of transmission in my Ford Focus 2018 SE With transmission not in-gaging fully and sluggish have difficulty with it not pulling up hills. My vehicle has an automatic transmission, not a clutch. Had repair vehicle about 2 years ago. Under supposed recall. Vehicle is now reacting the same as before. I am not sure what the previous repairs entailed. However, the vehicle has ran fine until ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2023
Car has randomly turned off and not turned on. Jeep has had car for over 3 months, charged me over $4K and has yet to find a solution
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Newmar Kountry Star RV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bump in the roadway, the comfort drive feature failed to operate as designed. Due to the failure, excessive effort was needed to steer the RV. The contact stated that after restarting the RV, the feature was reset and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Newmar Kountry Star RV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bump in the roadway, the comfort drive feature failed to operate as designed. Due to the failure, excessive effort was needed to steer the RV. The contact stated that after restarting the RV, the feature was reset and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
While on the highway i lost all power steering and acceleration and breaking power. no blinkers or access to my cars screen would not put car in park while on the side of the highway. i had to cross 4 lanes with no power, blinkers, minimal breaking. The control computer completely broke and stopped working. this was a week after delivery. Telsa towed my car for free and fixed the issue. But... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2023
Had car less than a month. After a Tesla software upgrade, error message that power steering assist was disabled. Unable to turn steering wheel. Reset software twice with no change. Left the car for awhile. When I came back, steering worked. No issues since.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, the vehicle accelerated at high-speed causing the vehicle to strike a wall at the contact resident. The contact stated the brake assist did not activate. The vehicle had major front-end damages. The contact's resident wall was damaged. Both the contact's wife who was driving and the passenger suffered concus... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was an unknown sensor fault with the vehicle. The contact then took the vehicle to another independent mechanic who informed him that the camshaft bolts were loosened, and the co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle downshifted to 1st gear unintendedly. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the nearby residence and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated that... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The contact owned a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 35 MPH, a vehicle behind her had passed her vehicle and cut in front of her vehicle, and slowed. The contact stated that the daughter was driving into the sun on the road and was unable to see that the vehicle had cut in front of her and had slowed, the daughter crashed into the passenger side of the other vehic... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
Loose power steering control while driving. Mostly happens when car is backing but also has happened while driving. Twice, we narrowly avoided accident. We called Tesla and they said to reset the software upon which it did not show for a day and again started showing up. We are taking the car to be looked up by Tesla service center. This is extremely dangerous situation as loosing power steering m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
Tire Size 235/65R18 Tires are under 40,000 miles and especially passenger right tread is gone. Tire’s already need to be replaced. The tire won’t hold air. No puncture anywhere, went to dealership and they couldn’t believe that the tires are so worn down already with such low mileage. I tried contacting Bridgstone they dismissed any concerns. I've been trying to get some help. These tires s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
Tire Size 235/65R18 Tires are under 40,000 miles and especially passenger right tread is gone. Tire’s already need to be replaced. The tire won’t hold air. No puncture anywhere, went to dealership and they couldn’t believe that the tires are so worn down already with such low mileage. I tried contacting Bridgstone they dismissed any concerns. I've been trying to get some help. These tires s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON JUNE 22ND 2023 AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE SEIZED UP AND THERE WAS NO ADVANCED WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AAA TO BRYAN GAMBLE AUTO AND DIESEL WERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2023
My brakes are not working effectively. They are not engaging as they are meant to.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Jeep GC) frequently and numerously experiences sudden shutdowns while driving. Consequently, not only do I lose power to various electrical features, but the power steering assist and power brake booster also become inoperative. This issue has been acknowledged by Jeep for other model years, but regrettably, they have failed to accept responsibility for it for the 2012... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
Hello, I was driving in the highway at highway speed and my engine shutdown with any sort of warning. I almost caused a huge accident. After I took it to the Alfa Romeo dealer, I had to replace the fuel pump according to the dealer, which is a common problem. I think Alfa Romeo should do a recall on the fuel pump. I also,scratched my car due to this incident avoiding a bigger accident. This car ne... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
When driving in I Pedal mode (which is the one-pedal mode), the brake lights do not light up when decelerating, and it almost caused us to be rear-ended yesterday. Drivers pull aside me and tell me my brake lights don't properly come on when I slow down. Apparently this defect was on the national news several months ago and Hyundai promised a software fix by mid-July. I was just at the Carlsbad... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
ABS System, Traction Control and Cruise Control. Issues with ABS system taking out the cruise control and cause vehicle speed to decrease with out control increasing risk of a rear end collision. The manufacturer is very aware of the problem and the control unit is on back order for about 9 months. This is an intermittent problem that some times does not occur during the course of a day and someti... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
ABS System, Traction Control and Cruise Control. Issues with ABS system taking out the cruise control and cause vehicle speed to decrease with out control increasing risk of a rear end collision. The manufacturer is very aware of the problem and the control unit is on back order for about 9 months. This is an intermittent problem that some times does not occur during the course of a day and someti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
Visibility obstructed. Dealer says he has seem at least 200 Honda with same problem.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
The backup camera and reverse taillights stopped functioning soon after I bought this vehicle in 2020. I am the 2nd owner and bought it from Peterson Toyota dealership in Boise, ID. There was no particular incident, i just noticed that the backup camera no longer showed an image when putting the car into reverse. I later found out while getting an oil change that the reverse taillights were not fu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
Defect pertains to the front driver seatbelt assembly. The overmold of the seatbelt pillar loop has cracked causing part deformation that pinches the webbing. Webbing is able to be extracted from the seatbelt retractor assembly, but, to some extent has retraction issues. This was an issue on the front passenger seatbelt assembly several years ago, and was replaced by the dealership. It has now o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
1. The engine and turbos failed making the car un-driveable. 2. My safety was put at risk because I had to immediately pull my car off the road in fear that my car would completely fail or catch fire. 3. Yes 4. There were no warnings prior to the failure. It failed out of nowhere. Proper maintenance was done.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Harley Davidson FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Ultra Motorcycle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V781000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle overheated, with the power steering system, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle shut off and the contact was unable to depress the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in the middle of traffic. The v... Read more