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: Feb 11, 2026
I am reporting a safety incident involving my Tesla while Autopilot/Full Self-Driving was engaged. On February 11, 2025 at approximately 9:22 am, on Waccamaw Medical Park Ct Conway, SC 29526, I was driving on a normal city street with the system actively controlling steering and speed. Without any warning or alert, the vehicle suddenly steered to the right toward the curb and struck it. I was ve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
I am reporting a safety incident involving my Tesla while Autopilot/Full Self-Driving was engaged. On February 11, 2025 at approximately 9:22 am, on Waccamaw Medical Park Ct Conway, SC 29526, I was driving on a normal city street with the system actively controlling steering and speed. Without any warning or alert, the vehicle suddenly steered to the right toward the curb and struck it. I was ve... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed an upside-down image. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet avai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Safety Risk is A loss of motive power can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. A loss of PARK function can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning and/or injury to others outside the vehicle. Loaner refused to be given.
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
On September 29, 2025, my vehicle overheated. Smoke was coming from the interior vents as well as from under the hood. I pulled over shortly after and had my vehicle towed to a repair shop. I got an estimate for radiator repair. That did not fix the issue, so more repair was needed related to a heating and evaporator core. I have attached the invoices for those repairs. I just wanted to note this ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
I am reporting an emissions-related malfunction that occurred a very short time after BMW performed the EGR cooler recall and updated the DDE software on my vehicle. Shortly after the recall work, the vehicle began showing DDE fault code 2BB300 – Particulate Sensor Measuring Electrode, Self-Diagnosis, which triggered the MIL. This issue did not exist at any point before the recall. Although my ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
After purchasing a used 2023 Dodge Durango GT, issues arose almost immediately following delivery. I took the vehicle to a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram (CJDR) dealership for inspection and service. Diagnostic scans revealed multiple stored and active fault codes, including but not limited to: U0415 / U0401 – Implausible or invalid data received from ABS / ECM / PCM B195F-12 – Power liftgate chim... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
Driving down the road at 50 mpg when to car just shut off had a hard time getting it off the road and did still was all the way we almost got hit three times
Incident date: Jan 3, 2026
The 3.0L diesel motor failed around 5700 miles. The thrust bearing failed and the engine and the turbo needed to be replaced.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2026
On Saturday morning January 3, 2026 I was driving with my wife, daughter and dog. There was light rain at the time and I had my adaptive cruise set at approximately 72 mph. I was driving our 2024 Tesla Y. At approximately 10:21am the rear of car began to slide right as we entered gradual left curve, possibly because we hit water on road. I tried to slightly correct right and when I did that the st... Read more
Crash
Fire
3 injured
Incident date: Dec 25, 2025
JUST LAST YEAR, I STARTED NOTICING THAT BOTH OF MY FRONT SEATBELTS ARE NOT FULLY RETRACTING WHEN I AM BUCKLED OR UNBUCKLED. WHEN I UNBUCKLE MY SEATBELT, I HAVE TO MANUALLY RETRACTED BACK TO ITS POSITION. ALSO, WHEN I HAVE BOTH SEATBELTS BUCKLED, I HAVE TO MANUALLY RETRACTED IN ORDER TO SECURE MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AS THIS IS NOT SAFE ENOUGH IN... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The IPC intermittently goes blank and I lose driver information like remaining fuel and speed limit and other safety information. The IPC also turns green and gets distortion.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
It was snowing and I was driving slow. About 8:40am, Feb 6th, 2026, I got a "One pedal driving disabled" alert just for a moment, then tried to stop before an intersection because a signal was turning to red. However, break didn't work and I had to enter the intersection under a red signal. Fortunately, there was no car in front of me, also a car coming from the side didn't notice signal changed. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Sudden downshift from 4th to 1st gear, rapid deceleration and loss of traction. Unable to accelerate until manually shifted back into 2nd gear.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
Vehicle would randomly shift in an out of gear while driving.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
Component: Engine Vehicle: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus – 2.0L EcoBoost Mileage at failure: ~76550 Incident date: August 2025 Narrative (paste this): My 2019 Lincoln Nautilus equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine experienced a sudden low-coolant warning followed by rapid overheating and complete engine shutdown in August 2025 at approximately 70,000 miles. After adding coolant, the warning immediat... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
The rear differential went out on it on Nov 27th, I had it towed back to the dealer and they kept it until Jan 5th and said they had fixed it. I have a hand written receipt from them but it's not very detailed. It does seem better but I can still hear a small noise that concerns me because it sounds and feels just like it did before. I just started financing this vehicle so im not sure what to do ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
ICCU failure at 3889 miles not charging and 12v battery failure
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
Description of the Defect: While driving with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged, the vehicle's primary computer shuts down and reboots, causing a sudden loss of all safety features, including Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and the driving visualization. The cameras go black while the vehicle is in motion. The Trigger: The failure is triggered by high elect... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
Description of the Defect: While driving with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged, the vehicle's primary computer shuts down and reboots, causing a sudden loss of all safety features, including Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and the driving visualization. The cameras go black while the vehicle is in motion. The Trigger: The failure is triggered by high elect... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Multiple times while driving my 2016 F-150 I would lose all power to my wheels. The RPMs would rise but no power would be transferred to the wheels. This happened one time while on the on ramp at 50+ MPH, a second time while drive down a city street at about 30 MPH, a third time while starting from a stop light, and a fourth time again when driving in the city at about 45 MPH. The check engine lig... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
My 2012 Hyundai Sonata recently had an engine replacement completed under a Hyundai recall. Immediately after the recall repair, the vehicle began shaking while driving, produced a burning smell, and the air conditioning stopped working, none of which occurred prior to the recall repair. These symptoms started immediately after the engine replacement, indicating a possible improper or unsafe inst... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
For about many months now I have had what sounds like a Exhaust Manifold leak. I have been trying to learn more about it. I have a 19' Ram 1500 Laramie and I have found that this is an incredibly common issue amongst Ram owners with a 5.7L V8 Engine. You tube has thousands of videos about how to repair, there are hundreds of message boards online, and even my mechanic said to me "Oh yeah I've fixe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
We live on a road with a steep embankment. My wife backed across our driveway and when she put the car from reverse to drive it accelerated uncontrollably. She hit our mailbox, then a power pole across the street, a driveway across the street then over the embankment where she hit a retainer wall another wooden railing and finally came to rest against our neighbors house. If she wouldn’t have ca... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
We live on a road with a steep embankment. My wife backed across our driveway and when she put the car from reverse to drive it accelerated uncontrollably. She hit our mailbox, then a power pole across the street, a driveway across the street then over the embankment where she hit a retainer wall another wooden railing and finally came to rest against our neighbors house. If she wouldn’t have ca... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and the traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a leak in the brake fluid hose. The contact was unsure what repair was performed, but the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The Reduce Power to Engine keeps happening. It shuts my car down and lights up the traction control light, check engine light and its a serious hazard because I travel highway to and from work and its very dangerous when you loose power to your vehicle at high rates of speed. Also my emissions is bad due to a supposed fixed recall for the catalytic converter.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Went for a tire rotation. Service tech noticed the following- THE PASSENGER REAR CONTROL ARM HAD A BOLT THAT WAS BACKING OUT OF IT & THE NUT WAS MISSING. THE BOLT HAD RUBBED THROUGH THE WHEEL WEIGHT ON THE WHEEL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ON THE RIGHT REAR. Photo is included of the rear control arm bolts for both sides of the car. Only the right rear had a problem.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
In July 2024 I purchased a 2017 Ford F150 3.5L Eco Boost pickup truck. Within two weeks of taking possession of the vehicle, the motors oil pump failed which resulted in permanent engine damage. The diagnosis to replace the motor, due to internal engine damage as a result of the oil pump failure, was made by the dealership that sold me the vehicle.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
While driving, the front left brake caliper detached, causing immediate damage to the wheel and a tire blowout. There was no recent brake, wheel, or suspension service (over two years). Tesla is repairing the vehicle for an estimated $2,336.41 but did not clearly identify root cause. This was a sudden brake system failure that could have resulted in loss of control. I am reporting this as a potent... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
I was driving to work and everything on the dashboard lit up. It actively showed that the car was changing gears while I was in traffic. I pulled over and the car reader gave me error - P0793. We have a 2018 Honda HRV with only 86,000 miles. The car became sluggish and sounded like something went wrong with the engine. There was no prior alarm or lights on dashboard before everything began bl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The 2018 Model X experienced a sudden and complete loss of power and became totally inaccessible. All doors and access points were inoperable and the vehicle could not be unlocked, disconnected, powered on, or placed into any service or tow mode. Emergency front-trunk release cables had to be used and external 12-volt power applied at the jump terminals to wake the vehicle. The inability to access... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The 2018 Model X experienced a sudden and complete loss of power and became totally inaccessible. All doors and access points were inoperable and the vehicle could not be unlocked, disconnected, powered on, or placed into any service or tow mode. Emergency front-trunk release cables had to be used and external 12-volt power applied at the jump terminals to wake the vehicle. The inability to access... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
I have a 2017 Honda Accord Sport. According to the recall, the low pressure fuel pump has a faulty impeller. My low pressure, in tank, fuel pump failed. The failed pump caused the high pressure fuel pump to fail. DTC code P00087, low fuel pressure recorded. Symptoms included loss of motive power above 2000 rpm, hard starts, and engine light. According to Service Bulletin 24-072 all 2013-2017 Acc... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
Cv joints knocking on hard turns
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
Auto Idle Stop/Auto Start-Stop Issue- On multiple occasions, occurring randomly, the vehicle will not start at stoplights after auto-idle stop is engaged. Sometimes this happens after the vehicle has been running for over an hour. Currently, the vehicle must be completely powered down and then restarted to revive engine.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
On [XXX], the vehicle was unable to be started - no lights, no power, unable to open the doors. I called Hyundai Roadside Assist and they sent someone from AAA a few hours later who was able to "jump start" the vehicle. I took it to the dealer, Manly Hyundai, on December 17th, 2025 and they determined nothing to be wrong with either the battery or the electrical system. On [XXX], while driving ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2026
Vehicle was having issues with acceleration. It started subtle where I could tell it was taking a little more time to catch or switch gears as I accelerated. It quickly progressed as I drove it more (within weeks of noticing the issue) that I could not safely turn on to higher speed roads from a slowed or stopped speed. For example if I turned on to a high way, whether merging or from a stop sign,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
Complaint Summary: My 2019 Ford EcoSport has experienced repeated failures of a known recall‑related engine defect. The engine was replaced once due to the recall, and less than a year later the same defect occurred again. The vehicle stalled on the highway, creating a serious safety hazard. Despite multiple recall repairs, the defect persists. Ford denied my buyback request without proper revi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
On [XXX], after placing my young child in my Tesla and closing the door, the 12V battery failed suddenly and the vehicle became inaccessible. I was unable to unlock or enter the car. I did not receive any warning or alert that the 12V battery was about to fail. The vehicle was in my garage, and the window automatically cracked, which allowed me to monitor my child while I sought help. I called Te... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
While driving the vehicle warnings alerted me that the battery was low and to start the vehicle ( it was running as I was driving) then the alert changed to pull over when possible. At this time the power steering and power brakes started to fail by the time I pulled into a parking lot the vehicle completely died and I had to push it into a parking spot. I called Land Rover they towed it to a deal... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
During a recent incident where a tire issue caused damage to the wiring harness for the parking brake, resulting in a Parking Brake Failure notification on the screen, the vehicle would not stop or turn off. The vehicle displayed N for neutral on the dash, but the vehicle would drive forward unless the brake was depressed. In addition, we were unable to place the vehicle in Park, which meant tha... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
During a recent incident where a tire issue caused damage to the wiring harness for the parking brake, resulting in a Parking Brake Failure notification on the screen, the vehicle would not stop or turn off. The vehicle displayed N for neutral on the dash, but the vehicle would drive forward unless the brake was depressed. In addition, we were unable to place the vehicle in Park, which meant tha... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
With no warning except a pop, the vehicle iccu will fail and leave you stranded, very dangerous if you are driving on the parkway
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Sunday [XXX] downtown Sacramento, driving about 25 mph. Heard a loud bang—bolt sheared off front subframe. Steering felt lagging upon making a right turn vehicle proceeded in a very wide turn, pulled into parking lot. Wheel locked right as I exited [XXX] parking spot; steering went slack, brakes scraped rotor. Two witnesses saw hardware hit pavement. AAA tech removed tire: lower control arm bolt... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
Power steering went out when i try to turn on car I get a red steering wheel with “!” Signal next to it and I am unable to use steering wheel
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
While dropping to school in my Tesla Model Y on [XXX] , I experienced a severe safety incident. A lower control arm bolt on the driver's side came off, causing the suspension to collapse. Before this, I noticed symptoms consistent with reported Model Y issues: rattling, clunking/popping noises, particularly when driving over bumps or turning, and unstable steering. This appears to be a manufacturi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Sun roof sun shade malfunctions and the shade sags down unable to see out of rear of vehicle, or rear view mirror. Also sags down on rear passengers and children and could cause your passengers to stop breathing from covering your face. Very dangerous.