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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 49,794 complaints for VOLKSWAGEN

Incident date: Oct 28, 2022

Recall 23S27 has no remedy available since May 2023, and Ford has not made any reasonable attempt to repair the engine that they say may catch on fire due to failure. Originally promised a fix announcement by October 2023, that has since come and went, then they said November and it's now December 24, 2023 and there's no fix for this issue. The previous related recall to increase ventilation did n... Read more

Incident date: Dec 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle independently decelerated to 20 MPH with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost braking functionality with the brake pedal being depressed to the floorboard. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence, and later had the vehicle towed to... Read more

Incident date: Sep 27, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling to the left. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the power steering unit. The local dealer was not ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 27, 2022

The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. On several occasions the contact was able to depress the accelerator pedal several times and regain forward motive power. The contact stated that other times the vehicle was coasted to the side of the roadway and restarted several times before regaining motive pow... Read more

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

Voltage will drop and effects steering, dash lights, radio, headlights

Incident date: Dec 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V787000 (Electrical System) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more

Incident date: Dec 8, 2023

Pretty sure it has something to do with the electrical power steering. The car will randomly steer to the left by its self it will do it driving or just running it does it all the time. I have videos and paper record of eveything from multiple sources. It could kill somebody and hurt others in the process. It wouldn’t let me upload the files. If they are needed

Incident date: Sep 21, 2021

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, there was a message indicating that the trailer brakes fault light was displayed. Additionally, an alarm sounded persistently, which interrupted the turn signal function. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown over-the-air update was p... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2023

The contact's boyfriend owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made an abnormal popping sound while opening. Additionally, the door failed to close properly. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of th... Read more

Incident date: Dec 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to slow for traffic or a traffic signal, the contact required more force to depress the brake pedal before the vehicle would slow. The contact became aware that while making a right turn, excessive pressure was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated there was no... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2018

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru WRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the drive belt, front drive axles, rear axle differential seals, and windshield washer reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2018

My 2022 Toyota Tundra 1794 transmission has always shifted hard on the initial start up and while accelerating when changing lanes. Since the truck was new I thought it was due to being new and required a break in period. Now I have own the truck for 15 months the problem still exist. I took the truck to the Toyota Dealership in Moss Point Mississippi in November 2023 and they informed me there we... Read more

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

No incident, not a timely remedy for recall. Recall from March 2023, no remedy available in December 2023, 9 months later.

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

Upon use and observation, the latest recall OTA update has caused the opposite effect that NHTSA was attempting to address. By making this update, it has caused the autopilot/lane keeping feature too easy to disengage with the steering wheel weight based presence notification/reminder. This can lead to an mis-input by the driver, causing an accident or collision. Please work to ensure that this is... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

Recently I noticed that the automatic windshield wipers are completely non-functional on my vehicle. Windshield wipers can still be turned on manually and work normally as expected in all speeds in manual control mode. But in auto control mode, they simply don't turn on at all, even in very heavy rain. This is critical because when driving the vehicle in Autopilot mode or Full-Self-Driving mode, t... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

The contact's daughter had rented a 2023 Mazda Mazda 3. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle veered off to the left side of the highway and side-swiped a cable system; the vehicle then crashed into the end cap of a guardrail. The vehicle then hydroplaned and hit a bridge pillar. The vehicle flipped as the contact's daughter was ejected from th... Read more

Crash Fire 1 deaths

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

A water leak was identified in the front left pillar from the support handle. It was sent in to Olympia Toyota who believed that body work was needed. The vehicle was then transferred to Titus Toyota in Tacoma. The assessment in Tacoma was very different than that in Olympia, and the vehicle was sent in to repair without first making contact with the owner. The assumption is that water is leaking ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, upon attempting to slow the vehicle, the RPM's increased rapidly up to 3,000 RPM; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The failure prompted the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After resuming driving, the RPM's increased rapidly, but the vehicle failed to accelerat... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

My car is a 2016 chevy equinox - the check engine light never came on and I was driving it home from the store when it started bucking, showing "power to engine low" error message and barely moved when pressing the gas. I got the car home and my husband was checking the car only to find I have no oil when I never received any warning. I have done research and have seen this is an issue for many ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

I received a power steering reduced notice on the car screen and the power steering failed. Restarting the car resolved the issue. There was a technician present when this occurred and he could not discover why it happened. If I had been driving at high speeds I would have crashed.

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Power Steering Assist Fault message was intermittently displayed, causing the steering wheel to become firm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC Code: U3000-49 and determined that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2022

Subject: Concerns Over NHTSA-Forced Changes to Tesla Model 3 Autopilot I am a Tesla Model 3 owner writing to express concerns about recent autopilot updates, seemingly implemented following NHTSA directives. These updates have significantly altered the system's operation, leading to potential safety risks. Previously, the autopilot required minimal, intuitive steering interaction. However, the n... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2022

The recall for my RAV4 was for the battery, and it may cause a fire. The safety of my family members and other families was affected by this fire. We are all displaced. My mom parked our car under our apartment, and 15 minutes later, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The battery was replaced in 2019, and the rep told us of farmers that they can't confirm that the recall may be the root of th... Read more

Fire 1 injured

Incident date: Dec 17, 2023

Driver’s Seatbelt will not click in place and my vin is not showing a recall. The control screen does not work correctly. It often goes bright and makes a dinging sound or won’t work at all.

Incident date: Mar 29, 2023

Driver side door quit working, the awelding on the arm is bad. Effects door opening and shutting and window going down.

Incident date: Dec 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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... Read more

Incident date: Oct 4, 2023

1 - there is no hatch release button on the remote or inside the vehicle 2 - there is no tune knob on the radio. Dangerous when using the touch screen to change channels while driving 3 - the door handles are close to the door hinges. Extremely hard to carefully open and also have to pull very hard to close doors. There is no grip in the door armrests. 4 - gearshift should be on the left side o... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The vehicle was not rep... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Tucson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2023

At roughly 54600 miles the engine began to shudder badly when starting the vehicle and driving for the first minute or so. The vehicle produced a check engine light that would come on and then would go off within the same day after it was parked multiple times over several weeks, finally staying on for 2 days. Shuddering from the engine became significantly worse in that time and the check engine ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2023

Car is shutting off when stopped. When it shuts off, the engine light comes on, the battery lights, the EPS, the master warning light, the FCA system light, and the EPB. When the engine shuts off, I still have power to my car and the radio still playing but nothing to my engine. I brought my car to 2 different mechanic and brought it to the dealership today and they are saying there’s nothing ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2023

Incident date: Dec 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlights of the vehicle were continuously dim. The contact stated that the headlight bulbs and the headlamps were replaced; however, the failure persisted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that both headlights needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel injectors. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V314000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), but the VIN was not inclu... Read more

Incident date: Dec 15, 2023

Check engine light came on first in 12/2021 because of a failed coolant heater. Dealer repaired under warranty in 8/2022. Loud/rough idle started 2/23 dealer could not determine what was causing the sound. Started noticing empty coolant bottle once a month. 11/23 check engine light came back on indicating coolant heater failed again. Still noticing vehicle losing coolant. Vehicle begins rough idle... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 McLaren Artura. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH the "Hybrid System failure, call McLaren Service Center" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle remained in the dealer's possession for three weeks before the contact was informed that a software update needed to be performed. Once the vehicle was returned to the contact, the dea... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2023

Recently I was leaving my neighborhood to take my kids to school. I used the remote start and noticed that the doors were not unlocking properly with the exception of the drivers side door. I opened the passenger door from the inside for my child to get into the truck. As we were about to depart the neighborhood for a busy main street, I noticed the door ajar light on the dash was on. I told my so... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F53. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the electronic braking system independently engaged, causing all the rear tires to shake without warning. The contact pulled off to the shoulder of the highway with white-colored smoke coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact called for assistance, but the contact was instructed to drive the vehicle in 20-minute... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2023

The high voltage battery no longer charges to full. Only 7 out of 8 possible indicator bars are illuminated, the car now only shows 17-20 miles available. When I purchased the car 3 years ago, it showed 28-29 miles available. Car was at Audi dealership, got tested, Audi says it's within tolerance. I disagree, 30% to 40% of the capacity is lost so far. There are many more owners that are reporting ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

Engine has always “ticked” since new took it multiple times to dealer they said it’s normal. Took it to shop they say its pushrods. Brakes front they wear unevenly even after being replaced by shop it always feels like truck is braking feels like it takes extra effort on gas pedal Transmission its a 6L80 only 85,000 miles and already there is metal shavings in pan and transmission is shift... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

No incident FAR SOME REASON MY AIR BAG LIGT STAY ON

Incident date: Oct 21, 2023

Vehicle hesitates, stutters and stalls when accelerating at any speed. The dealership told us it is either a transmission module or fuel module problem. They don’t have parts to fix it. There’s been a recall and a lawsuit about this same year, make and model, but they tell us our Vin is not included in any of this. it continues to do this to this day. The dealership wants us to drop it off an... Read more

Incident date: Oct 21, 2023

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

Check light comes on. Vehicle unexpectedly looses engine power while driving. Very dangerous situation as you don’t have time to pull over. Vehicle restarts then it happens again. Nissan dealership has no fix for the problem and gave us the car back. The vehicle has been to the dealership twice already. This is urgent and very dangerous.

Incident date: Nov 28, 2023

The rear camera displayed in the 12” display goes full blast bright when reverse is selected at night. It blows out your night vision and makes it extremely difficult to see outside the vehicle via the mirrors. There is no dimming option available. The problem has been reported to FCA via “ram cares” and there has been no resolution over the last year.

Incident date: Dec 15, 2023

I was in a head on collision in my 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and another driver crossed the center line. I braked at approximately 40 mph the other car was driving the same speed downhill and made impact with the front drivers side bumper. Busting the headlight, washer fluid reservoir, threw my front grille at least 5 feet in front of the truck… their car’s front end was demolished. My airbags ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jan 12, 2023

Was driving along normally and came to a stop and heard a big pile at the back of the car followed by a crinkling noise as I realized the rear glass was beginning to shatter. I looked at the person behind me to see if they may have seen something but they appeared to be completely unaware. I looked around to see if anything could have hit the glass but there was no evidence of that. About 20 minut... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog