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: Jul 14, 2025
My 2019 RAM 1500 diesel (built 12/12/2019 is included in Recall 23V-411 for tone wheel delamination. My tone wheel has failed (confirmed by technician). Stellantis provides free tone wheel replacement under Recall 73A for 2014 and 2016 models but excludes 2015/2017/2018/2019 models despite having the identical defect from the same supplier. I received only Recall 66A (software) which did not preve... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
I recently purchased a new Tesla Model Y in July 2025 . The vehicle has a loud clunking/creaking noise coming from the front suspension at low speeds, especially when driving over small bumps, turning into driveways, or when the road surface is uneven. The noise is noticeable inside the cabin and feels like a mechanical component is shifting. I brought the vehicle to Tesla Service twice the first ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
The touch screen keep closing the navigation map and changing applications suddenly and repeatedly without me touching it. It is unsafe as I try to bring the map back while driving because I don't want to miss an exit or get lost. Honda said there is no fix for it until now and a new screen has a possibility the same problem may happen again.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2025
Rear AC fails or does not turn on reliably, even with proper settings and a child in the back seat. • I live in Texas; inside temps can rapidly become dangerous, and a child’s body heats several times faster than an adult’s, increasing the risk of heatstroke. • The vehicle is under warranty, yet the defect remains unresolved and directly affects the safety of a restrained toddler who... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The chrome trim on the upper center console of my 2018 Ford Expedition Platinum Max has begun peeling and lifting, creating a razor-sharp exposed metal edge in the front passenger compartment. The sharp metal edge is located where the driver and front passenger/children rest their arms and where the console storage is opened and accessed during normal use. The edge is sharp enough to cause deep la... Read more
5 injured
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Car has developed a fuel leak once again in the rear of the vehicle. this is the second time a fuel leak has been noted. the first time the mechanic replaced a portion of the line that had corroded and was leaking fuel near the driver rear tire. now the leak is in another section of the original pipe near the fuel tank. this is poor quality and engineering.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I have repeatedly had electrical failure in the vehicle in the form of a "Reduced Power Alert" which renders the vehicle with significant limitation to drivability. This places the vehicle in "limp mode" and this frequently occurs on the highway. Once this Alert appears the vehicle has limited propulsion, limitations to steering and braking as well as other electrical systems. It has been to th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The rear view camera fails to function intermittently and is occurring at a higher rate of frequency. On numerous occasions when the vehicle is put in reverse the screen goes black with a red triangle caution symbol and a white camera crossed out. Now the system is unavailable more then operational. Based on the drivers rear vision when backing in this particular vehicle, the lack of the rear came... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2025) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 4, 2025
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
THERE WAS NO OWNERS MANUAL INCLUDED WITH THE BRAND NEW TRUCK I EMAILED DEALER TWICE AND CALLED SALESPERSON ONCE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM DEALERSHIP.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
A few weeks after purchasing this vehicle in Dallas, TX we drove to Florida. About 4 hours into the trip we stopped for lunch and noticed both of our cells phones had not charged and in fact had discharged quite a bit. Further testing shows none of the front or rear USB Type-C ports would charge any cell phone we plugged into them. I purchased a USB volt meter and verified that the car would on... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A4. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted after 20 minutes, and the coolant warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,177.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving 50-70 MPH, the message "Check Brake System" was displayed and the traction control warning light illuminated, causing the cruise control mode to disengage, and the vehicle was almost rear-ended. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving at 75 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
The alternator failed on my vehicle leaving the vehicle without any power in the middle of the interstate roadway having to manually pushed to the side of a very busy highway then towed to a repair shop afterwards. Simply put, my truck just killed in the middle of a interstate very shortly after having a low battery light come on. Speaking with the repair people at the Ram dealership there is no... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
I would hear squeaking/tearing/rattling noises, this was found to be due to malfunctioning/broken nuts and compliance arms and control arms. This happened three times so far, attached are two repairs that was required previously. Per report with Tesla staff, this has been a recurring issue. Per additional Tesla owners, this has been a frequent issue amongst many different Tesla forums. Now I have... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
I would hear squeaking/tearing/rattling noises, this was found to be due to malfunctioning/broken nuts and compliance arms and control arms. This happened three times so far, attached are two repairs that was required previously. Per report with Tesla staff, this has been a recurring issue. Per additional Tesla owners, this has been a frequent issue amongst many different Tesla forums. Now I have... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
ever since I bought the vehicle, I would often get an alert when putting into reverse that the rear reverse camera "Camera is Temporarily Unavailable". I did have the recall linked to this issue executed on the car. While the issue occurs less, it still does occur.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
Goodyear 255/40R20 tire failed at the inner seam.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
While driving the vehicle there is excessive lag in throttle response when giving the vehicle gas pedal input. Example being when you push gas to accelerate there is a 1-2 second delay from the vehicle before there is movement or acceleration. This happens every time i drive the vehicle and has almost caused numerous accidents due to the inconsistent response to throttle input.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
The contact owned 2006 BMW 530I. The contact received unknown recall notifications and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because he no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The VIN was unavailable.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
The front driver doors latch has snapped and no longer catches the door. The door clicked every time it opened and shut a few times before a loud pop/crack noise and now it won’t latch properly
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 3, 2025
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
My vehicle has continued to have major issues with the radio/audio system. The radio will experience an extremely loud distorted sound when I start the vehicle. It is extremely unsafe since the vehicle can't be operated while this is going on. During the worst situation, I've had to disconnect the battery in order to make the sound stop. I had the first issue happen less than 3 weeks after purchas... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
The vehicle was involved in a rollover crash at 60 mph that ended in striking a tree, which intruded upon the entire backseat area. The driver/passenger airbag(s) did not deploy despite conditions where deployment should have occurred. There were no signs of prior deployment or tampering: to my knowledge, the airbag system had not previously deployed or been serviced for that. The airbag system i... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
I am reporting a potential safety defect related to premature rear tire wear on my 2024 Tesla Model Y Performance At 15,482 miles, on May 2, 2025, Tesla’s Paramus, NJ Service Center confirmed an alignment issue and performed a four-wheel alignment. At the same visit, they replaced both rear tires with Michelin Pilot Sport AS 4 275/35R21 103W XL and sold me a Tire Protection Plan for those tires... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The transmission is shuttering and jerking, had it diagnosed and was told that the torque converter is going out with only 137,000 miles on my 2019 GMC Acadia
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The vehicle exhibits harmonic oscillation in the steering column since the day I drove the vehicle home on the interstate. Even though tires had been balanced out of pocket due to long service center wait times with a road force balancer, balanced again at the service center, match mounted and road force balanced again out of my own pocket, noise reducing foam removed and balanced on an uncalibrat... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Automatic emergency braking. Vehicle has had several instances of slaming on brakes for no reason. Last time we were traveling about 35 miles per hour with a vehicle traveling behind us when system slammed on brakes locking them up and bringing us to a complete stop. We were traveling in the dark, in a rough road in a construction zone. No warnings lamps or messages. Scared us very bad. We are ha... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Notifications come on indicating that “Front Left side marker light defective.” Identical error message for the right side marker.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: Multiple critical safety systems randomly disengage without warning while the vehicle is in operation, creating an immediate crash hazard. DETAILED DESCRIPTION: For approximately one month, my vehicle has experienced intermittent, unpredictable failures of multiple safety-critical systems while driving. These failures occur randomly during operation and include: Regenera... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: Multiple critical safety systems randomly disengage without warning while the vehicle is in operation, creating an immediate crash hazard. DETAILED DESCRIPTION: For approximately one month, my vehicle has experienced intermittent, unpredictable failures of multiple safety-critical systems while driving. These failures occur randomly during operation and include: Regenera... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
I was driving down the road and the engine started suddenly making a loud knocking noise. The car was immediately pulled over and put in park and towed to mechanic shop. Mechanic shop stated there was no oil on the engine dipstick and the engine was ruined due to lack of oil. No oil leaks were found. The car is kept in the garage and there is no oil on garage floor that would indicate a leak. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
My vehicle is consuming oil excessively. I have to put a whole quart of oil in my vehicle every 2 weeks. I am adamant about getting regular maintenance oil changes as well. My car had to be towed to a local auto shop due to the engine stalling and accelerator not working. They had to replace all 4 coil packs and 4 spark plugs due to dark, tarry oil covering the parts. The repairman told me my engi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Power steering. While I was driving in my neighborhood the power steering went out and I could not make a turn. It locked up while driving. I could have got into a head on collision/accident becasue the road turns. Yes, I reported it to Ford and they told me my flex did not have a recall despite the ford website stating that some 2013 ford flex are affected. The description of 15s18 sterring reca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My vehicle has developed a rapidly worsening battery performance issue. It loses range far faster than expected, shows inconsistent energy usage, and experiences sudden drops in projected mileage even during normal driving. Charging behavior is irregular, and the vehicle’s energy regeneration is inconsistent. There was no crash, fire, or damage. Based on the symptoms, this appears to be a potent... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My vehicle has developed a rapidly worsening battery performance issue. It loses range far faster than expected, shows inconsistent energy usage, and experiences sudden drops in projected mileage even during normal driving. Charging behavior is irregular, and the vehicle’s energy regeneration is inconsistent. There was no crash, fire, or damage. Based on the symptoms, this appears to be a potent... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
I paid off my var in June. By the ed of august my cars engine started going bad out of no where. started with oil and coolant mixing into the engine and then transmission started whining. Long story short I had to get both replaced. Oh yea my car only has 56k miles. Can you guys explain or give me any ideas on how this happened?
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
Approximately one month after purchasing a new vehicle, the steering system suddenly failed without any warning. While the car was parked at home and started normally, the steering wheel became extremely heavy, hot, and then completely locked. The vehicle could not be steered at all and became entirely non-drivable. Multiple warning messages appeared, including warnings related to reduced steerin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
Approximately one month after purchasing a new vehicle, the steering system suddenly failed without any warning. While the car was parked at home and started normally, the steering wheel became extremely heavy, hot, and then completely locked. The vehicle could not be steered at all and became entirely non-drivable. Multiple warning messages appeared, including warnings related to reduced steerin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Have a 2019 Ford Mustang 2DR 2.3L Ecoboost with 59,500 miles which I took to the dealership with a code P0302 and P0304 present, cylinder misfire, observed coolant level low, performed borescope in cylinder 2 and 4, found coolant intrusion, recommend long block engine replacement which would have cost me $10,728.85. Concern is that the engine can stall suddenly and may cause an accident. Ford Moto... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Severe lateral swaying / side-to-side swaying (“boat-like” or “floaty” motion) at highway speeds (65–80 mph) on any concrete-surface interstate, especially grooved or slightly uneven concrete (typical on Illinois highways such as I-90, I-294, I-55, etc.). Description of safety concern: The vehicle continuously rocks side-to-side in a pronounced, pendulum-like motion that requires constan... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
Vehicle: 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe My vehicle has two separate critical safety recalls with no remedy available: High-voltage battery fire risk (vehicle may catch fire even when parked; cannot charge; must park outside). Recall 68C for engine contamination with sand causing catastrophic engine failure, fire, and sudden loss of propulsion. Jeep states that repair parts are unavailable for both re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
I am submitting this complaint to report a safety issue with the turn-signal buttons on my steering wheel of the 2024–2025 Tesla Model 3 Highland. The turn-signal buttons are located on the steering wheel surface instead of a traditional stalk. When the steering wheel is turned at any angle, the buttons are difficult to locate by feel, often requiring the driver to look down to activate them and... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
I am submitting this complaint to report a safety issue with the turn-signal buttons on my steering wheel of the 2024–2025 Tesla Model 3 Highland. The turn-signal buttons are located on the steering wheel surface instead of a traditional stalk. When the steering wheel is turned at any angle, the buttons are difficult to locate by feel, often requiring the driver to look down to activate them and... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
on 11/28/2025, I received recall notice 68C/NHTSA 25V-741, from FCA US LLC. The recall affects my 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe, PIH. The recall states that the vehicle is at risk of catching fire, due to damage that may occur to the high voltage battery, during normal vehicle operation, and that there are no remedies for this condition currently available. In addition, owners are advised to refra... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
NHTSA Complaint Narrative (Copy & Paste) CRITICAL SAFETY DEFECT: SALE OF VEHICLE WITH DISABLED AIRBAGS Incident: 10/24/2025 | Dealer: Braman Cadillac (Miami, FL) | VIN: [XXX] Braman Cadillac sold me this 2024 Tesla Model 3 representing it as "clean/no accidents." In reality, they released a vehicle with a disabled airbag system resulting from a crash that occurred in their inventory. 1. DISABLE... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
Problem Description: The rear sliding window track on my Ford F-150 has detached / become loose, causing the window to rattle, misalign, and leak water into the cabin. While there is a TSB (SSM 50337) for window rattling, my truck’s issue is more severe, creating a potential safety hazard if the window detaches while driving or allows water damage to electrical components. Additional Info: •O... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
Electrical board that controls the digital portion of the dashboard display fails in cold weather and (according to online discussion groups) appears to be progressively worse over time. My dashboard display is failing at temps below approx. 36 degrees Fahrenheit. The first failures were last winter (2024-25). The affected display includes odometer, fuel gauge, some service warnings/indicators, pl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
INCIDENT REPORT – TESLA Y – UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2025, APPROXIMATELY 2:40 PM On the above-referenced date and time, we were returning home with the intention of pulling the car into our garage, an activity performed over a hundred times in the one year we have owned the car. Because of the need to back in to allow the car to be charged, the following procedure is ad... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and shut off. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road even though the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while d... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
Using the navigation system in self driving mode the turn signal indicators start 500 feet from the intended turn, regardless of speed, and not influenced by cross streets or parking lot driveways thay are present before the intended turn. This takes place regardless of upcoming cross streets or driveways, but based on distance only, giving drivers coming out of these cross streets and driveways ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
TRANSFER CASE MAKING ROTATIONAL BEARING NOISE FLUID HAVE LOTS OF METAL DEBRI