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 13, 2023

ABS and Traction control lights/audible warnings came on at about 25K miles on my 2018 Ram 3500 Dually truck. ABS control module and I think HCU were replaced under warranty. At about 50K the problem came back, ABS and Traction lights constantly coming on. Dealer said the issue is out of warranty now. Dealer said I'd have to pay a diagnostic fee, parts/labor, and computer re-program in the tho... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2023

Tesla Yoke Steering, horn button is nearly impossible to find in a panic situation. By the time you find the horn button an incident that could maybe have been otherwise avoided may have already occurred. Suggest Tesla, make all horns center steering wheel, it has been proven effective since the 1900's. As the NHTSA this is a complete failure in approving such a failed placement of the horn, one o... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a rock was kicked up and struck the passenger’s side of the windshield near the middle of the windshield. The contact owns a modified wheelchair accessible vehicle. The vehicle was equipped with multiple sensors and a wheelchair ramp for the contacts husband. The contact stated that she first took the vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 28, 2023

Brake failure caused by corrosion on rear brake lines. Also significant corrosion on front crossmember. There appears to be a recall in Canada for brake lines but I don't see one in the US.

Incident date: Sep 28, 2023

While driving on 4 lane Pkwy at 45 mph then slowing down to move into left turning lane, my model 3 gave warning of "parking brake failure" and stopped working at the same time. This means it slowed down to a stop on its own. I was "manually driving" the vehicle when this occurred. Luckily for me I was able to be in a "slower" left turn lane and I knew where the emergency blinker button was locate... Read more

Incident date: Sep 28, 2023

Incident date: Apr 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was misaligned and would not return to center. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where no brake failure was found, and the steering wheel was aligned; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2023

Incident date: Oct 19, 2023

I was on a camping trip in Wyoming, and I started my Tundra up on a chilly morning. It was running for about 5 minutes before I came back to it and entered the cab. Immediately upon entering I noticed a strange smell. I also noticed at that time that the driver’s seat was extremely warm. I quickly shut off the heat warmer (original equipment on the truck). Inspecting the seat, I could see where ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 19, 2023

Clutch failed for the 3rd time, there is another open recall for the clutch that states the pressure plate can fracture and damage the clutch. in 4 years the vehicle has had 3 clutches replaced, 2 of the 3 i was made to pay for and Jeep is refusing to reimburse. While driving 70 on a highway, there was a burning smell that started, when pulling over, there was a loud bang and the vehicle began to ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 23, 2023

I purchased the truck 2 weeks ago brand new and it has a total of 570 miles on it. After not being used for one day, the truck would not start at all. I receive a warning indicating that I should stop safely now, that full power accessory mode is on and a check engine light. I connected a OBD scanner but no codes were generated. The truck should no signs of a dead battery as all electrical func... Read more

Incident date: Oct 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while attempting to close the sunroof, the sunroof failed to close properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure) but the VIN w... Read more

Incident date: Oct 24, 2023

The contact's son owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the transmission started slipping. The vehicle was not shifting into the intended gear as designed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The engine overheated and pull over safely messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a radiat... Read more

Incident date: Sep 24, 2022

Manufacturer Recall Number22S47 NHTSA Recall Number22V484 Dealer keeps providing excuses as to why this recall has not been completed after taking vehicle to them 3 times. Not correcting in a timely manner.

Incident date: Sep 24, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving from a complete stop while the engine revved to ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 4, 2022

Hydralic control unit is bad causing on dash safety alert for service electronic brake system alert and anti lock brake system alert. When towing will not have brakes to assist in stopping tow vehicle. The alarm constantly going off distract your attention from the road. Upon going to the dealer for repairs I was told they are on national back order and may not be available until after the 1st ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that with the cruise control activated, the brake pedal failed to respond as needed with the "Check Brake System" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to disengage the cruise control or depress the brake pedal to the floorboard. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was n... Read more

Incident date: Oct 21, 2023

3 months after the engine was replaced under extended manufacturer warranty the vehicle started shifting funny, took it to the dealership and was told the transmission was bad, then another person in service said the transmission wasn't bad and didn't need to be replaced and they couldn't find anything wrong (after waiting for 2+ weeks for the transmission to come in), then the car left us strande... Read more

Incident date: Mar 28, 2023

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Infotainment center and back up camera failure as well as multiple other system failures that have been ongoing since 2020 after water damage when ac drain hose backed up. Kia has been contacted multiple times since April 2021 regarding this issue after it caused an accident while backing up in Apri... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Mar 28, 2023

Crash

Incident date: Oct 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power, and the 4WD was not functioning properly. The contact was able to reach his destination however, while attempting to leave, the vehicle initially failed to start. After several attempts, the vehicle started, and the traction control warning light illuminated. The... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

I almost actually died twice on a road trip when i hit uneven pavement on major interstates and had to come to a complete stop in the middle of a major highway with semi trucks swerving all around me. This jeep has the death wobble and I can't get anyone to recreate the issue to get it fixed.

Incident date: Oct 1, 2022

My car engine compartment fire while parked in front of my condo

Fire

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

Driver window is going down on its own. I was told by Faulkner VW mechanics. When this happens to hold the window botton down for 10 secs and up for 10 secs to reset it. Does not work. Still has neen doing it after my service date which was 10202023

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer w... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

The contact owned a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was on cruise control, and the vehicle slowed down as if the contact had depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated or warning chime sounded. The contact crashed into a truck and bounced off the side of the truck and the vehicle hit the highway divider at the... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Oct 10, 2022

Car started having issues when trying to brake it was as if the pedal was harder to push and the car was slowing but hard to stop. Also a hissing noise from the brake booster area above where feet are on driverside as well as a high litch squeal once pressed down to a certain point. Its only been getting worse even after changing brakes and rotors. The vehicle just doesnt stop when pressures ap... Read more

Incident date: Oct 14, 2023

The engine shut off during driving on October 19th and October 21 2023. The Engine sputters and ceased while in traffic then flashed an "Engine Off!" Warning and made a grinding noise stopping. During the incident on October 21st I was in a heavily trafficked road and lost power at about 20 miles an hour, the resulting engine shut down almost got me rear ended by a vehicle moving much faster.

Incident date: Oct 22, 2023

Paint started peeling 2 months after I bought it from the Honda dealership. I have had 2 appointments with them about it and nothing has been done. No call or email. 6 months into buying the vehicle I was getting onto the highway and my vehicle wasn't excellerating then it picked up. The vehicle does that every month atleast 4 times. Also since I bought this car when I unlocked my doors they lock ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 20, 2023

Car steers randomly almost to run into other cars. Engine dies unexpectedly why on high way. Remote malfunction

Incident date: Oct 20, 2023

Car steers randomly almost to run into other cars. Engine dies unexpectedly why on high way. Remote malfunction

Incident date: Oct 19, 2023

Collision avoidance , headlight bright/dim , lane departure system not working. I’m for service five times over five weeks with no resolutions there may be others I don’t know about until I need them the dealer is Fred Grande of Richmond michigan

Incident date: Oct 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while driving uphill. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle had started shaking uncontrollably. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The fa... Read more

Incident date: Oct 19, 2023

Car has 69,700 miles. All Audi suggested maintenance has been done. Synthetic oil changed every 5,000 miles (more frequently than Audi 10,000 mile recommendation). At 60,000 mile oil change, engine used 1 qt of oil. At 65,000 miles engine used 2 qts oil. At 69,500 mile oil change engine used 3.5 qts of oil. Audi is not sure this is excessive oil use. Must perform oil consumption test at ou... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2020

This is a summary of 2 passenger side tire failures: First tire failure: On August 29, 2023 I packed up my Forest River Cherokee Black Label travel trailer in Perry, FL and relocated it to Tallahassee, FL. On the way to Tallahassee on Highway 27 maybe a mile east of Capps, Fl noticed some tire debris behind me in side mirrors. My girlfriend was following me, called and alerted me something appe... Read more

Incident date: Sep 12, 2022

My car is a single owner car, that has documentation of regular oil changes, engine upkeep, and general maintenance since its purchase in 2016. No major issues had been experienced until August, 2023. While driving the car home from work, I felt an immediate loss of power from the engine, my a/c went out, and an error flashed saying the temperature sensor for the cylinder heads showed the engine ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

Last July my check engine light came on giving us a P0302 code. We had the spark plugs changed. It went away for a week then came back on with the same code. We had the coil packs changed. Same thing. Went away for a week then returned. Now dealership is saying they want $9,000+ to replace time engine for an issue that has been known to Ford since 2010 with this engine.with less than 70,000 miles ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

Incident date: Oct 19, 2023

The transmission jumps in and out of gear, the engine revs on its on. I was on the highway the first time and I going between 60 and 65 mph and it sounded like the whole bottom of the truck was just ripped out, the truck went from drive to either park or first gear it locked up the back tires and there was a truck behind me he tried to miss me but he hit the back passenger side of the truck. He wa... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

This occurred twice both happened on the highway going 65 mph. I accelerated as usual, suddenly the check engine light began blinking and I lost the ability to accelerate (limp mode). The car instantly dropped to 20 mph. After a minute, the check engine blinking light went away. Both times I was luckily able to get off of the highway going 20 mph. The first occurrence, I turned the car off for 30... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

Failing and malfunctioning head unit. This is a known problem with Subaru Outbacks. The inside is delaminating causing bubbles inside screen. The touch screen thinks you are touching it so it will skip stations, press all kinds of buttons on the menu screen, and even call contacts on your phone. I had to shut the radio off completely to a black screen as it’s dangerous while driving. I’ve bee... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact was driving approximately 60 MPH, when the check engine warning light illuminated and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the 3rd cylinder. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not be... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

My 2017 Ford Fusion with 77,000 miles was running poorly. I noticed coolant reservoir was empty with no visible leaks. Took it to a Ford dealership and was told coolant was leaking into cylinders. I was told to fix the car they would have to replace the engine. Had I not noticed the coolant issue and the engine died while driving in highway traffic, my safety, as well as the safety of others woul... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal odor was detected. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery had exploded and was leaking battery fluid. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced in 2021 for the rec... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2023

Transmission Internal Failure engine revved up and vehicle did not move in the middle of an intersection while making a left turn on coming vehicle had to dangerously steer around our vehicle to avoid a collision. check engine light came on P0729 and P0735 5th and 6th gear ratios issue @92,000 miles ABS and traction control lights came on diagnosed as C0020-01 ABS Pump motor control - General el... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure gauge was elevated too high. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed instrument cluster. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she recently noticed that other gauges were also malfunctioning. The vehicle was t... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard to stop the vehicle while driving back to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver-side door's hinge had disconnected making the door difficult to manage. The door emits a loud clunking noise when being opened and closed. The window had also become inoperable and failed to go down past a certain point. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when she shifted the vehicle into drive (D) and depressed the accelerator pedal the vehicle would shudder and not gain forward momentum. The contact stated that the vehicle would eventually slip into gear and gain momentum. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the issue had occurred in the past and ... 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