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 140,155 complaints for TOYOTA
TOYOTA
VENZA HYBRID
(2022) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 19, 2026
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD HITTING GARAGE DOOR AND ABRUPTLY LURCHED BCK 3-4 FT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, NO WARNING SIGNAL ON THE DISPLAY OR COLLISION AVOIDENCE SYSTEM ACTION. FORTUNATELY, KNOWONE WAS INJURED (OTHER THAN GARAGE DOOR)
Incident date: Aug 19, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 149,000. It was later discovered upon checking the vehicle history that the mileage was 378,000.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 19, 2026
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
This vehicle experienced transmission failure at 43,000 miles. There is a technical bulletin regarding a known manufacturer defect for this Make/Model/Year (TSB-008-21) and we were told by our Toyota service technician that our vehicle displayed all of the same symptoms as those identified in the technical bulletin. Unfortunately the serial number for our vehicle was not included in the bulletin ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the inside driver’s side door handle fractured and was flopping. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle through the driver’s side door and was concerned that in the event of a crash or an emergency, the door would fail open as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
The contact owns 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's son who was seated in the rear seat, became aware of an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that there was black smoke between the front driver's side near the steering wheel and the driver's seat. There was dark black smoke inside the door switch location. No warning lights... Read more
Fire
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 19, 2026
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
When apply the brake, the car will have sudden forward pushing.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 19, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
At around 75000 miles (less than 5 year old vehicle) the transmission exhibited a noticeable whine. After further research I presented the vehicle to the local Toyota dealer service department. An active technical service bulletin T-SB-0008-21 that describes a manufacturing defect with the front carrier assembly pinion shaft (essentially a catastrophic transmission failure) was matched to the sy... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, a second vehicle T-boned the vehicle while driving approximately 60 MPH and crashed into the driver’s side of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags had deployed inside the vehicle, including the side curtain air bags. Police and Emergency Services were called to the scene. The contact had to be... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I own a 2018 Toyota. My transmission has died prematurely. The car has less than 140k miles and has been meticulously maintained. The only component that has not been serviced is the transmission because no one wanted to “take the liability” according to 5 different local shops. This clearly tells me that this issue has been known. Toyota in Canada has already acknowledged the issue and issued... Read more
Incident date: Aug 9, 2026
The interior driver's-side door handle assembly on my 2025 Toyota Tacoma failed during normal use while attempting to open the door from inside the vehicle. There was no excessive force, impact, accident, or other damage that caused the failure. There were no warning lights, messages, or noticeable symptoms prior to the handle failing. The failure creates a safety concern because the driver's doo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
**VEHICLE:** 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE **VIN:** [XXX] **CURRENT MILEAGE:** 126,776 miles **PURCHASE DATE:** October 2020 **COMPONENT:** Automatic Transmission (Power Train) **PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:** On XXX, I took my 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE to a transmission specialty shop (TJ'S Transmission Service Inc., Bedford, PA) because the automatic transmission was slipping while driving. The professional diagnosis ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
My safety was put at risk because I did not have the protection of the airbags during a serious head-on collision. I was wearing my seat belt, but I still suffered a concussion, bruised ribs, two sprained ankles, pain in my head, neck, back, tailbone, jaw, and shoulder, as well as a burn from the seat belt. Since the accident, I have also experienced difficulty opening my mouth and eating on the r... Read more
Crash
1 injured
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
My mother was involved in a motor vehicle collision while properly restrained by her seat belt. During the collision, the vehicle sustained a significant impact; however, the airbags did not deploy. Following the accident, my mother went to the ER with significant bruising and injuries consistent with the force of the collision and seat-belt restraint. She has a fractured sternum, cardiac contusi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
While I was driving on Highway 459, the vehicle suddenly experienced a complete engine failure and lost power in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle could no longer accelerate or maintain its speed, leaving me stranded in an active traffic lane. This sudden failure placed me and other motorists at serious risk of a collision. Vehicles approaching from behind had to slow down, stop or change la... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
Driving down the freeway and the moonroof exploded for no reason, sending glass shards on the passenger.
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2024) - LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hatchback independently opened. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the hatchback needed to be recalibrated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer wh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the A/C, and the cool air setting was inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. A vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer stated that there was UV dye at the evaporator core and tha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
2012 Toyota Camry LE developed severe transmission shudder/vibration during normal driving, especially around 25–35 mph and 45–60 mph. The vehicle also experienced noticeable vibration when shifting into Reverse and Drive. An OBD scan previously detected diagnostic trouble code P2716 related to transmission pressure control. The transmission fluid was serviced, but the shudder continued. While... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
2012 Toyota Camry LE developed severe transmission shudder/vibration during normal driving, especially around 25–35 mph and 45–60 mph. The vehicle also experienced noticeable vibration when shifting into Reverse and Drive. An OBD scan previously detected diagnostic trouble code P2716 related to transmission pressure control. The transmission fluid was serviced, but the shudder continued. While... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
On July 20, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure resulting in a total engine seizure while operating. The failure caused an immediate, sudden loss of motive power, forcing the vehicle to become completely immobilized on the Interstate highway. This unexpected loss of propulsion created an immediate and severe highway crash hazard for myself and surrounding traffic. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
On July 20, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure resulting in a total engine seizure while operating. The failure caused an immediate, sudden loss of motive power, forcing the vehicle to become completely immobilized on the Interstate highway. This unexpected loss of propulsion created an immediate and severe highway crash hazard for myself and surrounding traffic. The vehicle... Read more
TOYOTA
FJ CRUISER
(2010) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The truck's frame was found to be cracked / rusted through in spots. It was discovered during another attempted repair 8/17/26. Because of the split / crack in the frame, the vehicle is now not drivable as it is deemed not road worthy. This problem is known to Toyota as well as the NHTSA. The Tacomas of the same years, on which this vehicle is built (same frame, same faulty rust-proofing operatio... Read more
TOYOTA
VENZA HYBRID
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The radio display intermittently goes black
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while making a left turn at 10 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the vehicle and t-boned the front passenger's side door of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. After the impact, the front windshield slowly cracked. A Police report was filed. The contact and her husband were transported by a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
I purchased a vehicle from a car dealer "as is" with a clean title. About two months after purchase I took it to a mechanic after I got an airbag light and he told me the vehicle was missing airbags and was in a hard enough collision that it caused the airbags to deploy. This was not listed on the Carfax report and was not disclosed to me. I would have never purchased a vehicle if I knew it was mi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while attempting to defrost the windshield on several occasions during the winter months, the windshield defroster failed to operate properly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on two separate occasions and remained there for weeks. However, the dealers were unable to determine the cause of the failure and were awaiting approval from t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2026
July 31, 2026 driving on the Garden State Parkway in NJ in traffic at 65 mph in the far left lane, my engine seized without warning. The car started beeping and the dash lit up something like engine stopped low steering power. I had to maneuver across 2 lanes of high-speed traffic with no power, limited steering and brakes. Then coasted to a stop and tried to restart the engine. Only a click, not... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle jumped a curb, went down a riverbank, and crashed into a telephone pole. The air bags did not deploy. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The parking brake was engaged, and the vehicle stopped. The message “Parking Brake Malfunction - See Dealer” was displayed... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle jumped a curb, went down a riverbank, and crashed into a telephone pole. The air bags did not deploy. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The parking brake was engaged, and the vehicle stopped. The message “Parking Brake Malfunction - See Dealer” was displayed... Read more
Crash
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2025) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, the car with 55611 miles the car gave the error Power Steering malfunction. Steering power low. Also lights indicating cruise control, lane departure and collision warnings have been disabled. On August 17, I drove the vehicle to the Toyota dealership where I purchased it and they gave me a quote for $5492.72 to fix the issue because it was out of warranty and I did not buy an extend... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2025) - STEERING
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, the car with 55611 miles the car gave the error Power Steering malfunction. Steering power low. Also lights indicating cruise control, lane departure and collision warnings have been disabled. On August 17, I drove the vehicle to the Toyota dealership where I purchased it and they gave me a quote for $5492.72 to fix the issue because it was out of warranty and I did not buy an extend... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2025) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
On August 15, the car with 55611 miles the car gave the error Power Steering malfunction. Steering power low. Also lights indicating cruise control, lane departure and collision warnings have been disabled. On August 17, I drove the vehicle to the Toyota dealership where I purchased it and they gave me a quote for $5492.72 to fix the issue because it was out of warranty and I did not buy an extend... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
-Our Toyota Tundra Hybrid suffered total catastrophic engine failure due to metal shavings found throughout the engine and oil system. This is the same issue that prompted NHTSA ID Number: 25V767000 recall of Toyota's V35A engines. The tundra is available for inspection. -Statement regarding safety put at risk by my husband: I felt a vibration from the engine compartment (seeming to come from the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
-Our Toyota Tundra Hybrid suffered total catastrophic engine failure due to metal shavings found throughout the engine and oil system. This is the same issue that prompted NHTSA ID Number: 25V767000 recall of Toyota's V35A engines. The tundra is available for inspection. -Statement regarding safety put at risk by my husband: I felt a vibration from the engine compartment (seeming to come from the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
-Our Toyota Tundra Hybrid suffered total catastrophic engine failure due to metal shavings found throughout the engine and oil system. This is the same issue that prompted NHTSA ID Number: 25V767000 recall of Toyota's V35A engines. The tundra is available for inspection. -Statement regarding safety put at risk by my husband: I felt a vibration from the engine compartment (seeming to come from the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
The wiper motor does not move fast enough to keep the windshield clear in heavy rain. Yes it is available to be inspected. Unable to see while driving even after slowing down. Only when encountering heavy rain. No No
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2024) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
There is a strong odor of gasoline coming from the car, to the point where the fumes are so strong they’re entering our home and making it very unsafe. We brought the vehicle to the Toyota dealership, and they said they couldn’t do anything about it. Keep in mind the car is still under warranty. Upon doing further research from Reddit, this seems to be a common issue with 2023+ Highlander and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
My 2003 Sequoia was in the garage for a check on the brakes. I also asked them to check the frame for any rust issues, because I had previously been concerned about it earlier. They reported to me that the car should be off the road because the rust in the frame was so severe. They said they would not put it up on the lift anymore because it could break in half. The stabilizer was barely connecte... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
My 2003 Sequoia was in the garage for a check on the brakes. I also asked them to check the frame for any rust issues, because I had previously been concerned about it earlier. They reported to me that the car should be off the road because the rust in the frame was so severe. They said they would not put it up on the lift anymore because it could break in half. The stabilizer was barely connecte... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
CVT bearing disintegrating. Expected repair cost is $10k-$12k. Purchased about a year ago and still owe almost 20k on the loan. This is the car that was intended to be used by my daughter but cannot trust this to make the drive. There have been no warning lamps or system messages just a metal on metal grinding sound. This is a known issue with this model of vehicle and there is already a warr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
On XXX I was driving on [XXX] at about 70mph, when the rear drivers side window on a 2023 Toyota tacoma crew cab shattered suddenly. If someone had been sitting in the backseat when this occurred they could have been injured. The door panel itself was damaged from the tiny shards of glass. It was a dangerous situation as glass was most likely showering the vehicles behind me as this occurred. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
1.The vehicle’s 12-volt battery/electrical system has malfunctioned. The battery became completely discharged after the vehicle was sitting for approximately one day , leaving me unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2026 Toyota C-HR, and I was extremely concerned because I had no reasonable expectation that a nearly new vehicle would become inoperable simply from sitting for a short per... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
1.The vehicle’s 12-volt battery/electrical system has malfunctioned. The battery became completely discharged after the vehicle was sitting for approximately one day , leaving me unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2026 Toyota C-HR, and I was extremely concerned because I had no reasonable expectation that a nearly new vehicle would become inoperable simply from sitting for a short per... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
1.The vehicle’s 12-volt battery/electrical system has malfunctioned. The battery became completely discharged after the vehicle was sitting for approximately one day , leaving me unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2026 Toyota C-HR, and I was extremely concerned because I had no reasonable expectation that a nearly new vehicle would become inoperable simply from sitting for a short per... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The brake vacuum pump failed at 46k causing a loss of brake power. Low brake power park in a safe place and call the dealer.
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
Everyone’s safety is at risk because these monitors are failing, and they aren’t doing anything about it. I asked for a loaner I don’t feel safe driving my brand new car. The last recall was a Risk of fire. So they got me a loaner, this one is only risking a crash so they don’t feel responsible. This cant be legal for them to make me drive around a car that may lose its hazards blinkers an... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 17, 2026
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Coming to a stop or slowing down the vehicle has a spot where it feels like the brakes fail then come back on. Especially if going down a grade. This happens around 15 to 20 mph. Started off a slight moment when you are sure the brakes quit working for just a second. As the vehicle gets older it has brown to be more noticeable.