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: Feb 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Michelin Pilot Sport, Tire Size: 255/35/ZR21, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the rear driver’s side tire experienced a blowout. The contact was able to safely pull off the roadway and wait for towing assistance. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to American Depot T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
On June 16, 2026, while operating the "Autopilot" self-driving system, my vehicle autonomously activated the right turn signal to enter a parking space. Subsequently, the vehicle experienced an unexpected acceleration. Despite my immediate application of the brakes, the vehicle collided with a storefront window, resulting in property damage. My insurance provider covered all associated damages, in... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
Backing out of driveway, the steering wheel was very hard to turn. The dash indicated the steering assist feature wasn't working. After restarting the software and the problem persisting, I investigated the assist motor/pump and found that the ground to the chassis was very corroded. I attempted to remove the nut to clean contacts and it sheared off. The grounding post had corroded through (white ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
Backing out of driveway, the steering wheel was very hard to turn. The dash indicated the steering assist feature wasn't working. After restarting the software and the problem persisting, I investigated the assist motor/pump and found that the ground to the chassis was very corroded. I attempted to remove the nut to clean contacts and it sheared off. The grounding post had corroded through (white ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
Lateral link bolt was broken causing damage to subframe.
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Email [XXX] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Defects Investigation [XXX] [XXX] Re: Safety Concern – Tesla Structural Battery Pack Design Dear NHTSA, I am writing to raise a serious safety and durability concern regarding Tesla’s structural battery pack design, in which the high-voltage battery is glued into the vehicle’s bo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 7... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 7... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 7... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2026
Tesla’s replacement of physical steering column turn signal stalks with capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel face creates an active safety hazard. First, the capacitive sensors frequently become entirely unresponsive. If a driver rests a finger near the buttons, the system triggers a timeout/lockout, rendering the signals non-functional for several seconds when pressed. They also fail ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2026
Tesla’s replacement of physical steering column turn signal stalks with capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel face creates an active safety hazard. First, the capacitive sensors frequently become entirely unresponsive. If a driver rests a finger near the buttons, the system triggers a timeout/lockout, rendering the signals non-functional for several seconds when pressed. They also fail ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: 2023 Tesla Model Y front suspension (suspected lower lateral link detachment), steering system, and airbag system (failed to deploy). Preserved intact, but will be at Hendrick Collision ([XXX]; POC: Dendi [XXX]) under Allstate Claim #XXX. Available for immediate NHTSA inspection. SAFETY RISK: At highway speed on Aviation Parkway, the car suffered an unprompted, vi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: 2023 Tesla Model Y front suspension (suspected lower lateral link detachment), steering system, and airbag system (failed to deploy). Preserved intact, but will be at Hendrick Collision ([XXX]; POC: Dendi [XXX]) under Allstate Claim #XXX. Available for immediate NHTSA inspection. SAFETY RISK: At highway speed on Aviation Parkway, the car suffered an unprompted, vi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: 2023 Tesla Model Y front suspension (suspected lower lateral link detachment), steering system, and airbag system (failed to deploy). Preserved intact, but will be at Hendrick Collision ([XXX]; POC: Dendi [XXX]) under Allstate Claim #XXX. Available for immediate NHTSA inspection. SAFETY RISK: At highway speed on Aviation Parkway, the car suffered an unprompted, vi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Full Self Driving Mode activated, the vehicle struck the garage wall, damaging the rear passenger’s side door. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the dealer had previously provided mobile service to replace the camera and that a second dealer, Tesla White Plains (250 Tar... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Full Self Driving Mode activated, the vehicle struck the garage wall, damaging the rear passenger’s side door. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the dealer had previously provided mobile service to replace the camera and that a second dealer, Tesla White Plains (250 Tar... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
During a software update, the vehicle was parked and no key was present inside the car. The car went into neutral and forward through my gate onto oncoming traffic. The car hit a parked car and then came to a stop. The software update proceeded and I was unable to move the car until it finished.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
2022 Tesla Model Y - Premature inner rear tire wear due to excessive negative camber from factory. Both rear tires worn to cords on inside edge at 17k miles, outside tread 6/32 still. Alignment specs show rear camber out of spec caused by short factory rear camber arms. This is a known defect, creates blowout risk at highway speed. Vehicle never modified, never in accident. Mileage 113,136. I have... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
2022 Tesla Model Y - Premature inner rear tire wear due to excessive negative camber from factory. Both rear tires worn to cords on inside edge at 17k miles, outside tread 6/32 still. Alignment specs show rear camber out of spec caused by short factory rear camber arms. This is a known defect, creates blowout risk at highway speed. Vehicle never modified, never in accident. Mileage 113,136. I have... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the safety features independently deactivated. The contact purchased and replaced the battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with ECU failure. The contact was informed that the ECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that an unknown... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in Self-Driving Mode and driving approximately 5-8 MPH, the vehicle suddenly turned towards the left into oncoming traffic. The contact immediately manually started steering the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal popping and snapping sound coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle eventually ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
Both the right (April 2024) and now left (Aug 2026) upper control arm bolt became loose. The left created damage. Now I routinely check the bolts and now on a check on the right it loosen naturally freely spinning by hand. Caught the right bolt early before damage and serious safety issue. Note this is a wide issue and NHTSA should issue a wider recall as Tesla argues about repairs and doesn’t ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM, the vehicle was being driven with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged during light rain. As the vehicle approached traffic ahead, it did not slow or brake as expected. The driver recognized that the vehicle was not slowing and attempted to intervene manually by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. The driver reports that despite these attempts,... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM, the vehicle was being driven with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged during light rain. As the vehicle approached traffic ahead, it did not slow or brake as expected. The driver recognized that the vehicle was not slowing and attempted to intervene manually by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. The driver reports that despite these attempts,... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM, the vehicle was being driven with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged during light rain. As the vehicle approached traffic ahead, it did not slow or brake as expected. The driver recognized that the vehicle was not slowing and attempted to intervene manually by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. The driver reports that despite these attempts,... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 9, 2026
The front passenger door intermittently becomes “unclosed.” When this occurs, the vehicle displays “door open” and the passenger door window rolls down and up repeatedly. The window cycling continues until the door is slammed firmly shut. Once the door is securely shut, the window cycling stops and the door-open warning clears. When it occurs: The issue began in the second week of August... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
The exterior rear door handle on the driver’s side rear passenger door caught the occupant’s finger during normal use, tearing the fingernail partially out of the nail bed and causing bleeding and an exposed nail bed injury requiring medical treatment. The flush-mounted door handle pinched and trapped the finger while the door was being operated. The component is available for inspection upon ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
My vehicle intermittently and without warning disables Autopilot/cruise control while driving, most consistently during hard acceleration from a stop or low speed. The touchscreen displays "Take Over Immediately" and Autopilot becomes completely unavailable for the remainder of the drive. The system only resets after the vehicle is parked and allowed to sit. This has occurred repeatedly over multi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
My vehicle intermittently and without warning disables Autopilot/cruise control while driving, most consistently during hard acceleration from a stop or low speed. The touchscreen displays "Take Over Immediately" and Autopilot becomes completely unavailable for the remainder of the drive. The system only resets after the vehicle is parked and allowed to sit. This has occurred repeatedly over multi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
After Tesla pushed software update 2026.20.6.11 or “FSD 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self Driving” ECU was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
After Tesla pushed software update 2026.20.6.11 or “FSD 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self Driving” ECU was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
After Tesla pushed software update 2026.20.6.11 or “FSD 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self Driving” ECU was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
While I have not experienced this issue personally yet, it is highly possible that it affects all 2012–2020 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the large induction motor. The issue appears to involve a manufacturing/design defect that allows coolant to leak into the motor due to a failed seal. Once coolant enters the motor, it can short electrical components and potentially cause additional el... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
While I have not experienced this issue personally yet, it is highly possible that it affects all 2012–2020 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the large induction motor. The issue appears to involve a manufacturing/design defect that allows coolant to leak into the motor due to a failed seal. Once coolant enters the motor, it can short electrical components and potentially cause additional el... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
While I have not experienced this issue personally yet, it is highly possible that it affects all 2012–2020 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the large induction motor. The issue appears to involve a manufacturing/design defect that allows coolant to leak into the motor due to a failed seal. Once coolant enters the motor, it can short electrical components and potentially cause additional el... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
Date: XXX, Time: 5.09.2026 State: [XXX] Location: [XXX] We were on Full Self Service Driving Mode A [XXX] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had overweight sign). Something came out of the direction of trucks and hit our car with a big sound (moving... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
Date: XXX, Time: 5.09.2026 State: [XXX] Location: [XXX] We were on Full Self Service Driving Mode A [XXX] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had overweight sign). Something came out of the direction of trucks and hit our car with a big sound (moving... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
Date: XXX, Time: 5.09.2026 State: [XXX] Location: [XXX] We were on Full Self Service Driving Mode A [XXX] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had overweight sign). Something came out of the direction of trucks and hit our car with a big sound (moving... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
I have been driving Tesla using FSD from [XXX] to [XXX] and passing [XXX] (XXX around 5 pm). We took an exit for rest room break near Gas Station. As soon as Car took exit using FSD, the car completely stopped suddenly in the middle of the road without any reason and warning. There was not any rain, visibility issue or driver distraction. There was not any alert or recording. As far as I remember,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
COMPONENT/SYSTEM THAT FAILED: The service brakes failed to stop the vehicle. While reverse-parking at low (parking) speed, I applied the brake pedal and the vehicle did not stop as expected, resulting in contact with an object and vehicle damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been preserved and driven only minimally since the event. HOW SAFETY WAS PUT AT RISK: The b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
COMPONENT/SYSTEM THAT FAILED: The service brakes failed to stop the vehicle. While reverse-parking at low (parking) speed, I applied the brake pedal and the vehicle did not stop as expected, resulting in contact with an object and vehicle damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been preserved and driven only minimally since the event. HOW SAFETY WAS PUT AT RISK: The b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
COMPONENT/SYSTEM THAT FAILED: The service brakes failed to stop the vehicle. While reverse-parking at low (parking) speed, I applied the brake pedal and the vehicle did not stop as expected, resulting in contact with an object and vehicle damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been preserved and driven only minimally since the event. HOW SAFETY WAS PUT AT RISK: The b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
I am reporting a front suspension failure on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor, that appears relevant to NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26006 and similar to Recall 23V-235. While driving slowly in a parking lot, I heard a clunk and felt the front wheel/steering alignment become slightly skewed. After entering the highway, the vehicle developed severe vibration and became unstable and difficult to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
I am reporting a front suspension failure on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor, that appears relevant to NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26006 and similar to Recall 23V-235. While driving slowly in a parking lot, I heard a clunk and felt the front wheel/steering alignment become slightly skewed. After entering the highway, the vehicle developed severe vibration and became unstable and difficult to ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
My 2021 Tesla Model 3 with approximately 70,000 miles developed front suspension problems. It began with squeaking, creaking and groaning, similar to a rusty playground swing, especially while turning or when the suspension moved. The noise was worse in hot weather and progressively became extremely loud and constant during normal driving. I also began hearing intermittent knocking/"bonking" or cl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
This complaint covers a 13-month continuous chain of severe electrical system failures stemming from a deficient federal safety recall remedy on my vehicle's Media Control Unit (MCU) architecture. Tesla's corporate policy has been to replace only the isolated center screen explicitly tracked by the recall while leaving connected legacy components intact on mismatched architecture. This creates an ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
This complaint covers a 13-month continuous chain of severe electrical system failures stemming from a deficient federal safety recall remedy on my vehicle's Media Control Unit (MCU) architecture. Tesla's corporate policy has been to replace only the isolated center screen explicitly tracked by the recall while leaving connected legacy components intact on mismatched architecture. This creates an ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing severe, unpredictable software and hardware regressions related to the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system (v14.3.7, Software build 2026.21.5) that create an immediate, active traffic hazard and a high risk of rear-end collisions. Primary Safety Issues: 1. TRAFFIC STALLS UPON DISENGAGEMENT: When Full Self-Driving (FSD) is engaged, auxiliary sensors malfunction, caus... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and independently veered into the other lane. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
After disengaging Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) and taking manual control of the vehicle, a feedback popup appears on the center touchscreen asking the driver to select a reason for disengaging FSD. The popup does not automatically disappear and remains on the screen unless the driver interacts with it. I believe this creates an unnecessary driver-distraction risk. The moment immediately followi... Read more