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: Jul 20, 2023

Excessive tire wear under normal conditions. Tires evaluated by service dept of local auto dealer as defective. Pirelli refused to honor implied warrantee as expressed by tire dealer after a two year delay in responding to request for a pro rated adjustment. Tires were unsafe early in their life cycle.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2023

Incident date: May 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the motor mounts had been replaced three times by the dealer sinc... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and the engine misfired. The secondary collision, braking system malfunction, brake ligation malfunction, and throttle control system advanced warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, wher... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

Rear Differential. It is available for inspection. Problem confirmed by 3 auto establishments. AAA, Jeep Auto Nation Dealership and John's Auto Care. Jeep dealer confirmed problem 7/10/23 and will order new parts. It was first discovered @ oil & filter change at AAA. I wanted the dealership to examine problem and confirm. Also, I had a third inspection to verify damage. Please see the atta... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while shifted to drive(D), the vehicle was unintentionally reversed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was shifted into park. The contact’s husband also experienced the failure a... Read more

Incident date: Dec 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2010 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V228000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experie... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Car when parked over time fails to move when engaged citing parking brake fault. I don't even use parking brake. Car is completely jammed. I looked up online and found a recall notice for the same issue where calipers were at fault.

Incident date: Jul 25, 2023

Second row drivers side seat headrest latching mechanism failed. The head rest will not stay in the upright position and is a safety hazard if someone is sitting in the seat as it hits the passenger in the back of the neck.

Incident date: Aug 18, 2023

During raining multiple teslas including my tesla last week experienced hydroplaning lead to close ti fatal accidents I believe the car inappropriately used emergency breaking that lead to accident, i am not if that was due to the car seeing water/reflection ln the ground I was driving the speed limit and all cars were driving at the same speed 70-75 mile per hour) I suddenly started spinning with... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled at an intersection. The contact stated that he was able to cross the intersection on momentum,... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2023

Turbocharger oil supply tubes leaking onto exhaust manifold Same engine as the recalled 2016-2017 Models

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags) 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 e... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

the car just started to smoke it looked like it was going to catch fire now the car won't start and I can't use it

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

The fuel filler neck has rusted through. If pumping gas into the vehicle, gasoline runs onto the ground by the rear tire. The rear trailing arm of the suspension has significant rust. I am concerned this suspension part could fail and become unattached to the vehicle frame/body. The Canadian transportation board has ordered a recall to repairs these issues. from Transport Canada: Toronto, On... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2023

Started having a rubbing sound in rear end of vehicle. Took it to dealer. Brake calipers are a issue on this model and dealer says, “ found updated rear brake calipers with deflectors to help with dirt in rear calipers/not covered under warranty customer pay expense”, they are replacing rotors under warranty that got worn out. They want me to pay $2400 to purchase and have the “updated brak... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, another vehicle pulled in front, and he was not able to honk the horn. Additionally, the cruise control deactivated independently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer who determined a failure with the clock spring. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileag... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2023

Incident date: May 20, 2022

Purchased new 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 in March with ziebart rust protection service done yearly to date. Truck has 74,000 miles valued at 28,000- $30,000 before noticing frame has cracks, holes and excessive rust Truck will not pass inspection now.

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

Fuel gauge unreliable until empty. During operation while tank is FULL the fuel gauge does not read correctly/reliably until most of the fuel has been used to the point the tank is 1 gallon from empty.

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

Wrong infrastructure was presented to me for the following six years of purchasing the vehicle as the fueling station is always down and malfunctioning which means I cannot drive the car and when I called and spoke to a Mirai agent by the name of [XXX] to request a rental to go to work today on August 16th 2023 he refused saying that I need to drive further away from where I live to a station tha... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V573000 (Electrical System) however, neither the VIN nor the year vehicle was included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the ignition switch ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

Car was parked on street with a slight downward slope behind it. It was turned off and placed in "Park". It rolled backwards down the street and hit a utility pole which caused it to stop. After seeing that it had "moved on its own" the shift handle was checked and still indicated the car was in "Park". Suspect some issue with the car actually being in park related to transmission, shift lever, or... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 9, 2023

The rear axel continues to blow out the bearings on both sides which ruins the brakes and calibers. 4 times this has happened and I have not been off roads. This is all on the highway. The certified technician said the rear axels need to be replaced. Jeep manufacturer said it is known as a common problem with Jeep so why am I having to pay for it. I want new axels and Jeep should cover it. Plus ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2023

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

On 8/15/23 I received my car back from the dealership after almost a month of repairs, trying to fix the issue where it would turn itself on and where it shut down while driving 45 miles an hour; at various points I was told it was the crankshaft, camshaft, spark plugs, fuel injectors, the pcm and a connector that was overheating. Yesterday, 8/15/23 the car was stuck in a long crank cycle. I notif... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle jerked and lunged forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 137,000.

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

AIR BAG LIGHT is on and Dealer diagnosed and could not identify the problem Nissan dealer of Rolla charge me $145. Dealer irresponsiibly reset the airbag code ( erase code) and return the vehicle that there is no issues. But AIR BAG Light came back on in few days. It is showing code B0020 but with no additional information. Dealer is not taking responsibilty on faulty airbag system and it is rec... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

March of 2023. Vehicle started hesitating and skipping. P0001 was logged. Dealership found terminals to connector to fuel pressure regulator were not crimped properly and loose. Repair was made. Aug 2023. Symptom have resurfaced this time logging code and shutting off while accelerating through an intersection. Logged code again P0001 Fuel Volume Regulator Control Circuit/Open.

Incident date: Aug 14, 2023

Car accelerated forward unexpectedly while making a turn and hit a telephone pole. Brakes did not engage nor did the forward collision warning sound or engage. Was manually driving. Car is non-driveable and repairs from Tesla are backlogged so we waiting 8+ weeks to get our car back.

Crash

Incident date: Jan 5, 2023

1. Automatic Emergency Braking - System - System Failed /or Malfunctioned Car is available for examination (28,000 miles) 2. Collision alert sounded, with warning indicator (red bar with two white bars below), Emergency braking triggered (no apparent ABS, but driver felt the vehicle decelerate), stopped the vehicle, and turned the vehicle engine off (electrical systems remained on). The vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The messages "Engine Shut Off" and "Steering Power Low" were displayed, and the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the messages and warning lights were ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

2018 EcoSport with 64k miles. After highway travel stopped at a gas station, the vehicle had a low engine oil pressure light turn on while idling... With a fast knock noise. During highway travel there were no signed of any issues. After towing to dealership, we found the OIL SUMP TENSIONER BELT BROKE. Dealership said we need a new motor.

Incident date: Apr 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake warning light illuminated, and the vehicle unintendedly came to a stop. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure m... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2022

During my first highway trip from Dallas to my home in Alpine, TX, I experienced numerous instances where the car would suddenly decelerate as if I had applied the brakes. At first I thought it was because there was a lot of road glare because I was driving late in the day into the west sun, but the next day it happened early in the morning when the sun was behind me and the road was straight, rel... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2022

Incident date: Sep 15, 2022

While driving at 70 mph on the highway on 8/13/23, the car electrical system failed. Power steering immediately failed. Brakes unresponsive. Lost control and almost veering into a semi beside us. Coasted and lane changed with no means to signal to others. Once we coasted to a near stop car was put into park without ability to press on break. After 3 min, attempted to start car again and it was re... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2022

Warning message appeared on the dashboard regarding HECU malfunction. Kia was contacted and stated the car is not covered under a recall.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2023

The contact's partner owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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. T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

While driving my Honda CR-V the braking, steering and GPS started to fail. I noticed the wire from the windshield to the rear-view mirror was hanging lose. the car was almost impossible to stop. Buckeye Honda replaced the wire for $1028.97 I recently became aware that Honda has recalled a number of other models with the same problem. Should the CR-V also be recalled? I am aware of other owners ha... Read more

Incident date: Oct 20, 2022

I’ve had numerous incidents where we were driving with adaptive cruise on and the vehicle will inexplicably engage the FCA system and slam on the brakes. This has occurred with no vehicles in front of me in clear conditions And had nearly caused a rear end collision.

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

Vehicle had sudden clunking noise near right front tire when being driven. Vehicle had TPMS light on. Vehicle has never been in a car accident, never has hit a bump at a high speed, and has never been crashed into anything. I was alarmed and scared of the sudden loud clunking noise. I took it immediately to the Norm Reeves Honda Center to get vehicle inspected. As I drove it to the Honda Center ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, he attempted to slow down for traffic and felt as if the brake was not responding as needed. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side front brake line had ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

The head gasket failed and coolant leaked into the cylinder. Safety wasn't necessarily put at risk because the check engine light came on before anything happened. Vehicle has been inspected and confirmed failed by independent service center.

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

Service order: dated 08/07/23 Engine light on and and off several times Check codes: found p301 and p316 as well as coolant intrusion in cylinder #1 lost psi of pressure on the coolant system in 10 minutes. Needs long block Conclusion by tech: needs a new engine costing over $9000. The cost for computer test $240.00 This was after spending $661.97 for a fuel vapour Sep installed. Don’t know if... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

I had an accident at a school pickup line. The car was on B mode completely stopped and it lurched forward all of sudden unfortunately at the exact moment when a girl was putting her backpack into her mother's car's trunk. Our IX hit the girl and the two cars parked in front of us. She was severely injured. Her mother repoerted some injury later.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Aug 11, 2023

At the moment, the vehicle is releasing a strong order smells like burning oil or gasoline. It’s coming from the rear of the vehicle. You can smell it immediately when you step out and in the car. The rear is making a loud cranking noise and starting to shake. It appears based on the information that it’s a huge possibility it’s my rear differential going out. It posses a threat due to the a... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

My vehicle begin stalling when accelerating (mostly after stopping) June 2023. My vehicle has almost cause me to have two accidents because it intermittently stalls when I try to cross an intersection. This is my fourth time taking my vehicle to the GMC dealership, and they tell me they can't find anything wrong if there is not a code. I have reached out to Corp, and I'm waiting to see if they ca... 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