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
Incident date: Aug 10, 2016
Car sometimes stall after releasing clutch too soon on first gear and goes into limp mode. Luckily I haven’t gotten hit from behind yet when this has happened but came close multiple times. The limp mode is what scares me that I will get into an accident.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
Since I bought this car the brakes have been making loud noises when going in reverse. Bought in 2022 and noticed immediatly - Daytona Ford made modification to brakes on a brand new car - and to date still hearing the same noise. I have had it in multiple times and have asked to have someone listen to the brakes and stated they cannot replicate. It's so loud now that it's embarrassing to drive an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stopped at a traffic light, and the engine unexpectedly shut off while the brake pedal was depressed. The transmission inadvertently shifted to neutral(N). The message to "Push Start to Start Engine" was displayed. The contact's husband pressed the Auto Start/Stop but... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stopped at a traffic light, and the engine unexpectedly shut off while the brake pedal was depressed. The transmission inadvertently shifted to neutral(N). The message to "Push Start to Start Engine" was displayed. The contact's husband pressed the Auto Start/Stop but... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2025
Urgent safety complaint for my 2025 Toyota Camry SE. I feel unsafe driving this car, especially with my child, due to extremely premature and unsafe tire wear found at only 17,309 miles. Key Facts: Mileage: 17,309. Problem: Needed immediate replacement of 4 tires due to severe premature wear. Two tires worn to steel belts, risking tire failure. Faulty wheel bearing also diagnosed. Safety: High ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 25, 2025
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
Roughly one to two times per day, a notification pops up on the infotainment screen stating that the brakes need to be serviced due to the brake assist system failing. The vehicle has been brought to 3 different dealerships and none of them know what the problem is, how to fix it, or whether it is safe to drive the vehicle still. The brakes seem to be working fine, however, it is concerning that e... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, COOLING FANS ON HIGH SPEED DEALER ADVISED NEEDS A COOLANT FLOW CONTROL VALVE REPAIR PARTS NOT AVAILABLE, SEVERAL VEHICLES WAITING ON SAME PART
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The steering rack on my 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 is defective. The steering system becomes disabled and shuts down with no prior warning causing the vehicle to become very dangerous to drive. The warning lamp indicates the word steering with an exclamation point. I had my vehicle taken to the auto repair shop and was told the steering rack was inoperative and needed a whole new rack costing just for t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
On hot days the gear shift gets stuck in park. The car interior has to cool down before the shifter will turn in to gear.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
Charcoal canister and vapor purge valve failure. Broke down twice after putting gas in my car right at the pump. One time in not the greatest neighborhood that I have to drive through to get to work. Putting myself at risk by sitting at a gas pump with a car that sounds like it wants to start but keeps just choking. After fueling a few times prior I noticed the idle of the car getting very low and... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2025
Speed sign recognition reads wrong speed. Reads 45 mph when speed limit is actually 70mph. Automatically slows down to 45 mph. Also drops to 25mph in 35 mph zone. Had it checked at dealer and they say all settings normal. Checked for Mfg updates and it says all up to date. Happens several times a week.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
I have push to start car. On my lunch i starting my car and I immediately notice the rpm went to 2500, which is high and it went up to 3000 and then the warning light flashed stability track error and check engine and swerving light I took a pic. I turn car off and wait a few min turned car back on and it was fine. No errors drove to get lunch and back no issues. Then on leaving work s ame thing h... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
To Whom It May Concern, I'm writing to formally report a critical failure of the Auto Start-Stop system in my 2019 Chevy Equinox that occurred today, resulting in a hazardous situation during rush hour traffic. While stopped in the northbound left turn lane of Route 202 at the intersection with Baltimore Pike, the vehicle’s Auto Start-Stop feature engaged as expected. However, upon releasing the... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown NHTSA recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - ENGINE
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
I had a lifter failure on 8/12/2024 with only 66,994 miles on the truck. Not only did I have lifter failure it also damaged the camshaft. It is documentation of this issue. I was at a stop light when the truck started what felt like bouncing and when I accelerated it hesitated then all my lights on the dashboard came on. Then I could hear a ticking sound and when I would come to a stop the engine ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - TIRES:SIDEWALL
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
P 235 / 55 R 20 This tire has developed a sidewall bulge. It has always been properly inflated. I currently have the tire but the manufacturer has requested that I send it to them.
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after his daughter had driven the vehicle, parked, and powered off, 7 hours later, the interior passenger side panel of the door was engulfed in flames, which had by that time blackened the glass. The driver's boyfriend witnessed the flames originating from the glove compartment and attempted to extinguish the fire by hand, which faile... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2025
While driving the vehicle the vehicle stopped, and engine seized. I could not move the vehicle out of neutral nor restart the vehicle to get out of the road. It was towed to our local dealership's service department on 2/16/25 and has been there since. They are stating the vehicle needs a new engine and the engine is on backorder. OF COURSE! This seems to be an ongoing issue with the 6.2L V8 engin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts n... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 HYBRID
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 24, 2025
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
Transmission seems to be slipping the truck in getting louder when I switch gears it takes a min to take off
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
I am reporting a safety defect on my 2024 Tesla Cybertruck related to Recall 25V170 (cant rail panel detachment hazard). Tesla has confirmed in writing that no remedy is available for my VIN, and they canceled my scheduled service appointment due to this. I explicitly requested that my appointment not be canceled because I felt unsafe driving the vehicle. I also disclosed my safety concerns to Te... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2023
The engine system on this vehicle experienced multiple failures, including severe knocking, power loss, and potential oil-related malfunctions. Despite repeated service visits to the authorized Ford dealership, the problem persisted. The dealership performed multiple repairs, but the issue was never fully resolved. The vehicle has been undrivable for over a year, during which I have had to rely o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure had become a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the deale... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle there was an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the flex plate was cracked and needed to be replaced along with the torque converter, the transmission fluid pump, and seals. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle there was an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the flex plate was cracked and needed to be replaced along with the torque converter, the transmission fluid pump, and seals. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2023
Kia is well known for their engine problems. I had my engine light come on and was flashing so I pulled over and shut the car off. After a few minutes I turned it back on and the light was still on, but no longer flashing. I was able to get it to my local mechanic who told me it needed a new engine. I had it towed to the Kia dealer where I purchased it. They were able to replace it was a refurbish... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
As of this morning, I’ve had both ball joints on the front suspension snap, making the vehicle undrivable.
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 19, 2025
I took the car for annual maintenance to Mercedes-Benz dealership. After routine check up they came back to report rusty rear subframe and told me that needs to be replaced. However this part is really expensive and models from 2008 to 2015 C300 had the same issue(premature rust) and they all received extended warranty from Mercedes-Benz for free replacement. I wanted to report this safety issue f... Read more
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 19, 2025
I am a single owner of a ‘87 Nissan Hardbody D21 pickup. Speedometer needle is made of plastic and curls from the heat.I live in Tucson AZ. The needle curls inward toward the faceplate of the speedometer. Other incidences relayed to me from other Nissan pickup owners are where the needle curls away or up from the original position. The problem is widespread here in the Southwest, even if unrepor... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2025
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, which I purchased used approximately one year ago. Since acquiring the vehicle, I have experienced severe and excessive oil consumption as well as ongoing fuel injector problems. Specifically, the vehicle requires additional oil every 100 to 200 miles, which is far beyond what is considered nor... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering warning light illuminated, and the contact had to manually steer the vehicle. The contact continued to drive the vehicle without power steering functionality. The contact stated that additional electrical failures had occurred. The contact also stated that the ABS activated and ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) - ENGINE
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
Vehicle was idle in the driveway next to my home and had not been driven since the night before. That morning, I started to smell what I thought was an electronic overheat of some sort in the house. When I inspected outside, the entire front end of the vehicle was on fire and the fire department needed to respond. The fire spread rapidly along the side of my home causing significant damage to my... Read more
Fire
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 23, 2025
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
SOS emergency call button doesn't work. Even though button is show green and technical people at dealership said there are no problems. I actually pressed the button and it said the call can't be made.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Fit. The contact stated while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil and fuel. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle fully, the fuel gauge displayed a half tank. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechan... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2025
Engine light came on, went to the dealership where I bought the truck less then two weeks prior. The Chevy dealership ran diagnostic test on it. They said it was the Engine Coolant Control Valve. This is a common problem with the 3.0 Duramax diesel engine. I belong to a group on Facebook with the same truck as mine. they are all having the same issue. We are waiting for a recall. the part is on ba... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2025
Sole owner of 2017 Hyundai Tucson with approx 55,700k miles. Check engine light on and car not accelerating properly. Had same acceleration problem a year ago without engine light, Hyundai dealership stated I needed software update on anti judder gds, update was completed by Hyundai and the issue has reoccurred.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
Every so often the vehicle’s AEB, FCW, LDW system malfunctions and causes the CEL( Check Engine Light ) to come on. The car also looses Traction Control and begins to sound like the tires are grinding on the pavement. This then puts the motor in a limp mode/ Safe Mode. During this time the vehicle DOES NOT Have power and reduces speed to 50MPH, the vehicle then revs at 2.5-5.5RPM trying to catch... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
Every so often the vehicle’s AEB, FCW, LDW system malfunctions and causes the CEL( Check Engine Light ) to come on. The car also looses Traction Control and begins to sound like the tires are grinding on the pavement. This then puts the motor in a limp mode/ Safe Mode. During this time the vehicle DOES NOT Have power and reduces speed to 50MPH, the vehicle then revs at 2.5-5.5RPM trying to catch... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2024) - LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Apr 22, 2025
Incident date: Jan 28, 2024
Electric power steering failing at 35000 miles
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2024) - STEERING
Apr 22, 2025
Incident date: Jan 28, 2024
Electric power steering failing at 35000 miles
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
I was driving home, and my foot fell to the floor when I hit the brakes. Thankfully, I was coasting to the front of my house, so I was able to stop using the hand brake. Upon inspection and professional opinion from the Subaru dealership, the brake line rusted through just after the rear junction block, identical to the recall NUMBER: WQK-47. However, my VIN was not included in this recall, and... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V951000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera image was distorted or was rotated. The contact sta... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - AIR BAGS
Apr 22, 2025
Incident date: Feb 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the driver inadvertently drove off the road and lost control of the steering, causing the vehicle to drive over a driveway, go airborne, and crash into a large boulder. The contact indicated that during the incident, the accelerator pedal was inadvertently pressed, causing the vehicle to accelerate f... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
Center screen went black and is completely inoperational. Cannot utilize any center screen functions including headlights and rear backup camera. Took vehicle to dealer and they diagnosed as a bad display control unit, which is on backorder.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) - SERVICE BRAKES
Apr 21, 2025
Incident date: Apr 21, 2025
The entire car failed as it caught fire. I wasn't able to break or put the car into park and it rolled to a stop while smoke was coming through the vents. Because of this, my passenger and I exited the vehicle and crossed the expressway while a highway patroller was directing traffic away from the car. Within 2 minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The car is not available for inspection as it w... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
Got the car with many problems . Last recent problems purge cvavle, leak in emission, air make loud sounds . Now it’s my door was making popping noises when closing or opening, now the door doesn’t shut at all. No incident happen, just happen by itself
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
Got the car with many problems . Last recent problems purge cvavle, leak in emission, air make loud sounds . Now it’s my door was making popping noises when closing or opening, now the door doesn’t shut at all. No incident happen, just happen by itself
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact attempted to warm up the vehicle; however, when the contact returned to the vehicle, the vehicle was off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the engine sounded like it was losing power with an abn... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
I purchased my vehicle in October 2024, and on Jan 2025 I begin experiencing jerking, misfiring, car not accelerating and unable to reverse. I reached out to multiple car dealers and they were unable to diagnose the problem. Today, January 21st I took my vehicle of less than a year to Ourisman Lincoln and was informed I needed to replace my 2019 Lincoln Transmission. This is devastating, as I’m ... Read more