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: Jun 10, 2023

This issue has been going on for over a year now. Vehicle shakes violently when leaving uneven surfaces such as coming off of a bridge on the highway. You have to come to a complete stop to get it to stop shaking. This is very dangerous when on a highway. Vehicle has been inspected by local dealership and parts have been ordered but continue to be on backorder. The dealership states that they have... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2023

Incident date: Feb 20, 2023

A sudden feeling like the car isn't stopping when slowing down for a light when applying break. Here is more detailed kind of incident - A sudden feeling like the car isn't stopping when slowing down for a light or when braking down hill, but it happens at other times as well. Sometimes a normal traffic light. I'm braking and then all of the sudden the car feels like it isn't slowing down and kin... Read more

Incident date: Feb 20, 2023

I have a 2014 Cadillac SRX AWD. My passenger rear tire kept losing air. I looked it over a dozen times and never found anything wrong with it as to why it was losing air. I would put air in it and within 2-3 days, I needed to put air in it again. This went on for a few months at least. Then out of nowhere my driver rear tire started losing air and when that started my passenger tire was holding ai... Read more

Incident date: Feb 20, 2023

I came to a major intersection and the SUV shut completely down. Would not start up. Steering wheel was stuck. Then voltage dropped to 11.7 volts. The battery always reads 13.7 and higher usually. Afttercharge back to 13.7. I was driving for 45 minutes continuously before incident happened.

Incident date: May 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The failur... Read more

Incident date: Mar 28, 2023

The heat exchanger on my truck is faulty per the serve department at Balise Ford of Wilbraham. I had a check engine light coming on intermittently starting in October of 2022. In late December, the check engine came on steady. I made an appointment with Balise to have it checked out as well as to have other recall issues resolved. They inspected the truck and found the heat exchanger was faulty ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 28, 2023

AIRBAG WARNING IS ON, BUTTONS/CONTROL OF THE WHEEL DONT WORK, CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. MOTOR SHAKES A LOT. WE GOT THIS CAR 2-3 WEEKS AGO LIGHT WAS NOT ON WHEN WE GOT IT FROM THE DEALER. IM NOT AN EXPERT BUT I THINK THAT SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY... IM DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle tow to the dealer. The dealer replaced the fuel module, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer however, stated ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

There was a factory recall to replace high pressure fuel delivery pump. Dodge dealership will not replace my pump. My truck stalls and loses power due to this faulty pump. All I get is the run around. Clearly from the recall description this is also a safety issue. I have ask the dodge dealership to do the repair and they said no money or orders are given from parent companies.

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

I recently purchased my 2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5 4WD that had the manufacturer’s undercoating done as a result of the LSC in 2013. The coating has failed and water was able to seep in causing massive rust on the frame. It is a safety hazard to drive at this point.

Incident date: Jul 6, 2022

My car had an 80% charge and I was going 75 MPH on a major highway. for the second time in five months the Ariya inexplicably shut off, went into neutral. I had to navigate three lanes to get off the nearest exit. The car immediately lost all power and decelerated from 75 miles a The car immediately lost all power and decelerated from 75 MPH to 25 before I could get to the nearest exit.This is so... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the head gasket had blown/failed coolant leaked into cylinder # 4. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Ford Corporate was contacted and informed of the problem as de... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag cover on the steering wheel was cracked. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the cover was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure recurred approximately 6-8 months later and was aw... Read more

Incident date: Dec 21, 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle with the air condition activated, there was an abnormal exhaust fumes inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the exhaust manifold was faulty and needed to be replaced. The exhaust manifold was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The approximate f... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2023

Rear door is stuck and does NOT open, nor will the emergency release in the door, when activated, allow it to open. Poses a significant danger to anyone in the backseat, or if trying to get a child out from the backseat, say in the event of an accident on the opposite side. This must be addressed via a recall asap, or there will be serious consequences eventually.

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the sunroof exploded without impact and glass fragments fell inside on the rear seats of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The manufacturer was c... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2023

Driver seat rocks back and forth. There was a recall for 2010-2011 models for this exact issue but 2012 and 2013 are not included in the recall. This is an issue for later models and was even an issue for the 2014-2018 as a separate recall was issued for that generation. 2012 and 2013 need to be recalled for the seats rocking back and forth. This is a safety concern.

Incident date: Jun 13, 2023

While driving on the highway using cruise control, the car unexpectedly and rapidly slowed down. This has happened several (5-10) times, day and night, generally in low traffic areas (mostly with no traffic anywhere nearby). I have experienced this issue throughout my ownership of the car. In the most recent case, the car seemed to think that the speed limit had dropped to 35mph, perhaps seei... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and failed to accelerate as needed. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and had the vehicle towed. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be r... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced severe shaking and vibration after driving over bumps on the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front ball joints were faulty and needed to be replaced. The ball joints were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2022

Engine shuts off sporatically, sometimes 4 times in an hour of driving at low speeds. I could easily be rear ended in light traffic when the engine turns off. The problem has not been confirmed by anyone. I've Google the problem on different forums and many Elantra owners are experiencing the same problem. There are no warnings

Incident date: Apr 25, 2022

I was rear ended and the air bags didn't deploy. The police and body shop said they should have. The car is unmodified and dealer serviced

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Jun 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission driveline needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2023

purchased may 15th.and now car sits in my apartment parking lot as a roadblock for all tenants since May 27th. 2008sebring started fine.drove 2 miles roundtrip, vehicle ride was rough upon turning into residence thankfully I was not on the street in traffic when the car decided to stop ,the windows were down I still have not been able to get them rolled up .lights instrument panel lights went ... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the gear shifter into park(P), the transmission failed to shift as needed. The contact stated that the transmission would only shift into reverse(R). An independent mechanic flipped an unknown switch, and the contact was able to drive her vehicle to her residence; however, when the contact attempted to shift t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the timing chain, the gaskets, and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the timi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

While pulling forward, at a green light, the autonomous braking system activated as the vehicle in front of me was moving away. The automatic braking system should not have activated at this time. This the third time this has happened with this vehicle.

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

There have been 3 different ongoing issues. The car was ordered and delivered brand new in April 2022. At 4,000 miles and again at 12,000 mile is would display low oil and require 1 quart of oil. The dealership acknowledged that it has an oil consumption issue, unresolved. I have to bring it in every time it is low prior to its required oil change time/miles. At 19,742 miles the cars battery di... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

The problem is with the transmission and dual clutch and electrical. My car shakes when still, doesn't want to go when I put on the gas, doesn't want to change gears. The electrical keeps going on and off and the fan goes on and stays on after I shut car off and get out and stays on. I took it to schicker ford on south kingshighway to get programmed and I got my car back it was worse.

Incident date: Apr 7, 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abrupt stop. The contact was unsure if there were any warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started operating normally. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacture... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

During the last few months, the steering wheel has been locking, and I am not able to remove the ignition key. This happen when I stop and park the car, and want to turn the ignition off. I have to move the steering wheel from right to left or vice versa, or drive the car back and forward, until unlocks the steering wheel and I can remove the key. I just found through a web search that other d... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold starts, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that there had... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2023

I was driving down 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, traffic was crowded but flowing with an estimated speed of 20mph between lights. I believe the distance between my front bumper and the car ahead was only slightly under 2 car lengths in motion. Coming to a stop light, the car in front of me slowed and I followed, applying pressure to the brake gradually. Roughly 2-3 seconds into my braking, the forward ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2023

The two systems that failed are the airbag release on the front passenger side and the stabilitrak system. Both systems show error lights on the dash. The front seat passenger does not have airbag protection. The stabilitrak system error light appears intermittently and when the traction system goes off the car brakes almost stop the car while driving. We go to Royal Buick in Tucson, Arizona. ... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2023

The side mirrors adjust to a position on their own. They also become fixed in this position and are unable to move. Not sure why this happens. I saw some complaints of water exposure being the issue but I have not been able to test this theory. This issue becomes very dangerous when on any road but especially the highway

Incident date: Mar 29, 2023

This vehicle has been to the dealer multiple times to check hard-shifting and shuttering. Could not replicate at dealer. On 5/27/23 500 miles into a 2k mile road trip the vehicle hard shifted- felt like we hit something, then lost all acceleration. Would not accelerate. Narrowly missing being hit by several cars as I moved it from the fast lane into shoulder. Trying to accelerate the whole tim... Read more

Incident date: May 25, 2023

The thermo-valve controller gives out on this vehicle. Through searches and discussions with two separate dealerships, this seems to be an incredibly common issue. It's enough that Subaru has actually completely replaced the design of this piece for whenever it gets replaced. This triggers a check engine light which already removes many features on the Subaru. My understanding is that this part co... Read more

Incident date: May 16, 2023

Please see attached further information as to complaint recently filed, NHTSA ID # 11525685

Incident date: May 16, 2023

About a few weeks ago my family and I were on our way to Disney for vacation. While on the highway driving around 70+ mph the vehicle suddenly made a big bang sound. The radio shut off and the checkESC (electronic stability control) message popped up on the display. A few miles later it did the same thing. Good thing we had just started our 10 hour drive to be able to take a back road back home do... Read more

Incident date: Jan 12, 2022

Although this vehicle is 10 years old it has only logged less than 17k miles (near new condition). A few months back it was noted that the backlighting on the console, steering wheel, interior door panels and overhead console were inoperative under non-daylight conditions. At night, it's driving blind from an instrumentation perspective. Controls cannot be located as they cannot be seen. This back... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the Pre- Collision warning light illuminated, and the vehicle would abruptly decelerated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that during the failure, there were no objects or vehicles nearby. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 29, 2023

The contact owned a 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 22-25 mph in heavy traffic, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The driver continuously depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle accelerated and crashed into the rear of unknown Honda. The vehicle continued to travel and seemed to idle. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was a police r... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 7, 2023

The car will not go when she come to stop at shakes and jerks, so hard you cannot accelerate once you come from a stop if you do the car dies the car dies when trying to merge onto the highway due to the acceleration especially on hot days almost died a few times on the way home from work hitting St. Louis traffic. The car is a piece of junk. Good luck surviving trying to drive it.

Incident date: May 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 20 MPH, the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that t... Read more

Incident date: May 16, 2023

Control arm and both front struts failed

Incident date: May 16, 2023

Control arm and both front struts failed

Incident date: Apr 24, 2023

While driving the vehicle will just go crazy all lights come and things stop working throttle control, etc. it’s hard to control the vehicle

Incident date: Apr 24, 2023

While driving the vehicle will just go crazy all lights come and things stop working throttle control, etc. it’s hard to control the vehicle

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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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