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: Sep 22, 2023

I owned 2 of these 2022 civics equipped with Honda's Collision mitigation braking technology. This is the year they removed the forward radar and relied only on a single camera unit. I was involved in a rear end collision where I was the rear ender even with the distance setting on the furthest setting. The accident was on the highway at about 40MPH. A vehicle Merging on to the highway stopped in ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Sep 23, 2023

Every time I turn on my truck my steering wheel locks out for 15-20 minutes not allowing me to turn my tires. After waiting for the “service power steering” warning sign goes away it’ll then unlock allowing me to drive.

Incident date: Apr 5, 2023

My 2017 outback having problem removing the key from the ignition when turned off and in PARK. They changed the key cylinder and this didn't resolve the issue. When I went to pick up the car after the cylinder change the technician tried to show me that the problem was resolved and the KEY WAS STUCK. $648 spent with no resolution. There is a known warranty problem with the park switch BUT they ca... Read more

Incident date: Sep 21, 2023

Faulty airbag module. Error Code DTC-B0020-13. Requires replacement of the left front seat back assembly.

Incident date: Sep 21, 2023

Failure mode is currently unknown but electric steering failed when pulling vehicle out of the garage. Currently waiting on dealer to diagnose and repair issue but had this failure occured at highway speeds, this could have resulted in severe injury to the driver or other motorists.

Incident date: Sep 21, 2023

I was driving my vehicle when suddenly I lost all control of power steering. The light came on and thank goodness I made it home safely as this was quite dangerous. I am EXTREMELY upset and annoyed that this has happened. When I research online it shows that there was a recall for my model year but only ~400 affected trucks. I do not feel this is accurate as I have experienced the same exact thing... Read more

Incident date: Jan 3, 2021

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she had to apply extra pressure to the brake pedal to coast the vehicle to a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Jan 3, 2021

Incident date: Aug 28, 2023

I have the transmission pump fail and cause the torque converter to fail. With transmission failed may have caused an accident. I had a mechanic look at issue and found out the problem with the transmission and cost of repair. Has not been inspected at this time. I did not have any prior notice with lights or check engine light on in the car before issue with the transmission. Dodge has a r... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

Since I purchased this car during warranty 2 of the door locks quit working and was replaced under warranty but since the warranty has ran out the other 2 door locks quit working. So if I lock my door it will not unlock so I have to crawl in a door that will lock. The other option is not lock my doors so everything can be stolen out of my car or I could be robbed since they could open my door at a... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

Automobile automatically, abruptly and forcefully applied the brake during normal driving. No apparent obstacle appeared that should have caused this behavior. However, the time this occurred was late in the day and long shadows of trees and shrubs were crossing the road at the time. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Driver was driving 40 mph on a suburban road with other d... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2023

Sitting at a light and back windshield shattered. Nothing hit it. It completely shattered for no known reason. It is a brand new 2023 HRV

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

Vehicle has 59,000 miles on it currently I am a Toyota certified collision tech so I try to fix my own cars and not cause unnecessary visits to the dealer and my car started making a wining/clicking noise early 2022 around 55,000 miles. So I tried to diagnose this problem I replaced both front wheel bearings and it seemed to get a little better. Then it got exceptionally worse after about 57,000... Read more

Incident date: Sep 21, 2023

Vehicle cannot engage park. Shift sys fault appears and throws a code that states that park may not be available. Ford has refused to help.

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

I was driving down I-55 S in Marion, Arkansas on 21 September 2023 at 620 in the morning headed towards Memphis when I heard a crack and glasses shattering above my head. I knew my sun roof had to have been broken. I pulled over and opened the automatic shade and my entire sunroof had been shattered. The inside of my car was completely covered in glass. There was no object that I saw that could ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2023

The power steering motor went out while I was driving. The message center on my dashboard alerted me just seconds before I couldn't steer. Luckily I was on a residential street and was able to get out of the road with a lot of effort steering. The car was taken to a local mechanic and we were told the power steering motor went out. The mechanic ordered the part and replaced it. The process to... Read more

Incident date: Sep 21, 2023

Engine Block Cracked. Coolant all leaked out of water jacket. (concurrent with TSB 10-048) Yes it is available for inspection. Car Over Heated, while traveling at speed. Manufacturer is denying inspection. No warning lamps, or lights.

Incident date: Jan 20, 2023

1. Issue number one parking brake engages on and applies the brakes while the vehicle is moving. I had this issue happened to me at least three times; luckily I was not going very fast when it happened. Additionally, Parking brake light will come on at random times. (is not Auto Hold) 2. Multi-functions switch that controls turning signal gets stuck in the up or down position after engaging the sw... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the surround vision feature failed to detect nearby objects. The contact stated that the Autonomous Self Driving warning and the Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2023

My 2016 Fusion Hybrid SE. All SYNC related functions ceased to function . Cant use bluetooth. cant do voice commands. USB is not working and not charging. Radio works fine, but phone button does nothing; menu button does nothing; voice command button on steering wheel does nothing. This is a safety hazard and I know I'm not the only one having this issue.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota 4Runner equipped with an Ironman 4x4 USA, Part: Pro Forge upper control arm. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E051000 (Suspension) however, the contact stated that after calling and leaving messages with the manufacturer regarding the recall, the contact had not received a call back. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a... Read more

Incident date: Sep 2, 2023

My car is having issues driving over 60miles per hr, I have to keep pressing the gas to get the car to move, the car battery is dead and won’t turn on, I got the car repaired twice and the second time I got it repaired, it just was even worse then before . The car smells like gas , the salesman only told me that I needed a value cover gasket and he had someone repair it , but when I went to auto... Read more

Incident date: Sep 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the interlock device failed and the vehicle unintendedly downshifted. 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 failure mileage was approximately 60,360. The VIN was not available.

Incident date: Sep 19, 2023

The low beam headlights do not turn on, all the other lights work as normal including the high beams. The fuses have not blown and there are no warning lamps or messages. This is a known problem with this make and model, there is a recall in Canada for this issue. The safety of others is put at extreme risk in any kind of low light condition (fog, rain, etc.) As well as my own safety by not being ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 10, 2023

About a year ago the passenger side visor fell from the arm side and was dangling in the window from the cords that operate the light. I almost ran into another vehicle when it happened. About 2 months ago, the driver side did the exact same thing as i was approaching a stoplight I could not see and almost hit the car in front of me.

Incident date: Sep 10, 2023

Power steering fails while in motion with no warning until it happens making it very difficult to get control of the vehicle. When it happens a power steering failing light comes on but there is no warning before the steering locks up on you. Dealer has not been contacted as every time I call they don't answer. Was inspected by an independent garage who states it is the rack.

Incident date: Sep 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the seat sensor unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Aft... Read more

Incident date: Sep 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact depressed the horn however, the horn was inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failur... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

Was driving down the interstate going 70 mph truck started loosing power without any warning or check engine light's. Truck started vibrating violently to the point almost lost control of truck. Dealer says broke crankshaft in motor truck only has 77k miles on it. This should be looked into as it’s happening a lot with models with the Cummings diesel motor. Please look into this before someone i... Read more

Incident date: Sep 19, 2023

The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while parking and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and collided with a wall. The collision was at the front of the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained arm, leg, thumb, back, and nose injuries. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an imp... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Sep 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that after remote starting the vehicle, he walked out to the vehicle and heard a popping sound. The contact approached the vehicle and became aware that there was a hole in the center of the rear windshield and that had spider webbed. The rear windshield was still in place however, the contact was unable to through the rear windshield while us... Read more

Incident date: Sep 6, 2023

As I was going down the highway my car started smoking dramatically. There were no warning lights so I assumed it might be a belt. I pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood to find flames coming from the backside of the engine. I have had it in the shop now for the last two months and the initial thought was that the water pump could have caused the issue. However, after that set of rep... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Sep 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH in a snowstorm, with his son in the front passenger's seat, another vehicle drove by the driver's side of the vehicle and sprayed a significant amount of snow on the vehicle, and the windshield wipers seized. The contact then lost visibility of the roadway and slowed down. The vehicle was rear-ended by another veh... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Sep 13, 2023

On September 6, 2023, the back windshield of my 2023 Honda HRV shattered while I was driving putting my safety at risk for the loud sound of the glass while concentrating on the road. Called the Honda dealership and explained the incident. The service manager was familiar with this happening on other vehicles and confirmed it would be covered by Honda to replace and correct without any cost to me.... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

UNKNOWN white pearl paint started peeling under the window of the back hatch. It peeled off like a sheet in a 3” by 3” area. The van is well cared for and is parked under a covered carport. Clearly, it is a manufacturing defect that should not be happening.

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

Electrical System is failing. Began with the Electrical sunroof will not open/OR slide all the way open, the sunroof Electrical problem has been this way since I purchased it in 04/2019. Next the touchscreen panel for the radio AM/FM, will shit off while driving down the road randomly and sporadically. CD Player quit working indefinitely, i cant even get my CD out of the CD player. Will not play ... Read more

2 injured

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

2 injured

Incident date: Sep 19, 2023

Driving down the highway and another car turned into my lane. I turned/swerved to the left to avoid collision and all side and curtain airbags deployed in the vehicle. I did not crash into anything. There was zero damage to the exterior of my vehicle. The manufacturer (Stellantis) claims there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, and that it detected the vehicle was going to roll over, and that i... Read more

Incident date: Sep 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the navigation system had malfunctioned, requesting several prompts to be pressed to produce to the desired direction on the screen. The failure caused the radio, Bluetooth, and rearview camera to fail to operate as needed. The contact performed a master reset for all the parts to function properly; however, the failure recurred. The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2023

The vehicle power steering stopped working without warning making the vehicle very difficult to steer if at all steerable. The power steering warning light on the dash came on at the same time the issue began. This made the vehicle very dangerous to drive. Luckily I was driving on a straight and not in the middle of a curve or it would have been difficult to stay in the lane I was in. I have tr... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

Lane keeping assist veers out of highway lane when an unlined entrance- exit appears. Vehicle is looking for the right line and swerves out of the lane to find it. Could cause a collision with an incoming vehicle. 2nd part the vehicle shimmies down the highway for the same reason when space between dashed lines appear. Constantly correcting itself. Solution would be a recall to reprogram all Hyund... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

Error message on dash "Coolant Temperature Too High" and vehicle shuts down. This is happening multiple times. Sometimes it happens multiple times in a week and won't do it for a couple months and then it starts to happen again. Sometimes the vehicle will self resolve after 5-10 seconds and let me keep driving, other times it will shut down and make me restart the vehicle. After restarting, the ve... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

STEERING ISSUE. Steering wheel sticks, does not return to center position without pulling on the steering wheel. When taken to dealership several times, the following response occurs. "Can Not Duplicate issue, Therefore Problem Does Not Exist!" Someone is going to be injured or killed, if this REAL PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED!! This is not an isolated incident, hundred + + complaints, Exist. . ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 17, 2023

Car would not restart after engine turned off multiple times at intersections. All warning lights came on. Had to turn off vehicle completely and restart. Very dangerous. Required new battery

Incident date: Sep 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz S500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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: Sep 17, 2023

TCM failed. Vehicle is at the dealership awaiting new part for over three months now. Continue to get extended ETA on the part, latest communication was maybe November before it ships. Last vehicle dealership had took a year for the replacement TCM Vehicle immediately went into ‘limp mode’ on highway, was very unsafe because could only go 20-25mph. Confirmed by dealer upon them working on pic... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP): 21B11 (Second Row Inflatable Seat Belt); however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The local dealer and two unknown dealers were contacted several times and informed the contact the part wa... Read more

Incident date: Sep 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter failed to operate as needed and the contact was unable to shift into the intended gear. The message to “See Owner’s Manual” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the shifter cable bushing needed to be replaced. Th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2022

Sometimes the cruise control works. Sometimes it doesn't work. Even after vehicle is warmed up still no resolution. Engine oil disappears without notice or warning.

Incident date: Sep 19, 2019

The electric connection for the air bag has malfunctioned . The same vehicle with different VIN numbers have already been recalled for the exact same reason. Not sure why my car was not included. Many people on the VW forums are having the same issues. Please recall.

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Vehicle Safety

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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

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