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.
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
Showing 49,794 complaints for VOLKSWAGEN
VOLKSWAGEN
CC
(2012) - LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
May 31, 2023
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
Rear passenger door will not lock manually or via manufacturer installed causing issues with child safety lock and at high speeds can be opened causing injuries and or death ,Windscreen on panoramic sunroof detaches causing safety hazard
VOLKSWAGEN
CC
(2012) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
May 31, 2023
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
Rear passenger door will not lock manually or via manufacturer installed causing issues with child safety lock and at high speeds can be opened causing injuries and or death ,Windscreen on panoramic sunroof detaches causing safety hazard
VOLKSWAGEN
BEETLE CONVERTIBLE
(2016) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
Cold start issues, seemed to start on one cylinder then died 3 times, started up on the 4th try just fine
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 26, 2023
The vehicle is brand new with only 300 miles on the clock. Today while driving to work and listening to XM-radio the volume spiked to max and would not respond to controls to lower volume or turn off. I was able to lower by switching to a different output. It was very detracting and potentially dangerous since the Bose speakers are very loud.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
The vehicle is brand new with only 300 miles on the clock. Today while driving to work and listening to XM-radio the volume spiked to max and would not respond to controls to lower volume or turn off. I was able to lower by switching to a different output. It was very detracting and potentially dangerous since the Bose speakers are very loud.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
I have noticed the slight loss of power for the recall that is listed. It has been almost a year now and still no answer. I have contacted my dealer and they say it will be atleast till the end of the year. I have had some very close call instances, fortunately I have had no accidents. I have had to replace 2 fuel pumps. I really do not want to replace another one, but it seems as though they last... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while parked, upon starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact noticed later that the air bag warning light had remained illuminated; however, the warning light turned off independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front passenger’s side seat belt. The vehicle ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - SEAT BELTS
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
The seat belt latch in the third row on the drivers side does not latch. This is a 2022 Palisade.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - SERVICE BRAKES
May 30, 2023
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
Vehicle began exhibiting intermittent, momentary ABS activation (right front) which would cause vehicle to randomly and severely pull to the right and momentarily flash the traction control warning lamp. This problem began early in 2022 and was first taken to Ford dealership in May 2022. Multiple visits to dealer resulted in inability to diagnose due to lack of recorded codes although they were ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - STRUCTURE:BODY
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 28, 2023
While driving with the top up or down on the highway the doors will intermittently unlock and the security light come on because the door is ajar. This has been going on since I purchacesed the car 2 yrs ago. Now 5/29/23 while driving on the highway the drivers door opened while driving 70 miles an hour. This is a daily occurrence and it happens multiple times daily. This is a dangerous and scary ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2016) - WHEELS
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 16, 2023
Sondors sent a letter stating a protective sleeve is needed around the vehicles main high voltage cable (electric motorcycle). This is both an extreme electrocution hazard but also a fire hazard. The company made no effort to correct the defect directly. Additionally, the wheels/tires are extremely unbalanced and dangerous to ride as delivered by the company. They initially acknowledged the issue,... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2016) - ENGINE
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning was illuminated and flashing. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact had taken the vehicle ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2016) - SUSPENSION
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 30, 2023
I have several recalls on my vehicle and the dealership only scrub and they did not replace the crossmember and other parts. I need help to see if this is OK
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2017) - POWER TRAIN
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approxima... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES
May 30, 2023
Incident date: May 30, 2023
ABS and Traction control light on. One of thousands of complaints I see regarding the same issue all over the forums online. It all seems to be 2017-2018 models from what I gather it’s the ABS module or ABS Hydraulic control unit. Not only is it annoying to hve the constant beeping on a truck with only 39k miles, it’s also highly dangerous to have to drive around with faulty brakes!!!! Plea... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD
May 29, 2023
Incident date: May 29, 2023
URGENT: MY DASH HAS MELTED ON MY-2008 LEXUS ES 350- I CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE, MY VISIBILTY IT TOTALLY OBSTRUCTED w MY 2008 LEXUS ES 350 WITH ACTUAL 35, 000 MILES, THAT I CANNOT DRIVE ((EVER)) IT SITS IN THE GARAGE. BECAUSE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE MELTING DASH IT TOTALLY BLOCKS MY VIEW OF ANY ROAD, DUE TO SHINING REFLECTION OF MELTING DASH IS ALL YOU CAN SEE IN MY WINDSHIELD WHEN YOU GET IN THE CAR TO... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 29, 2023
Incident date: May 12, 2023
Black piano plastic blinds driver when it is sunny outside.
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - STEERING
May 29, 2023
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
Light came on saying power steering assist fault
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) - STRUCTURE:BODY
May 29, 2023
Incident date: May 29, 2023
The pillar trim windshield molding on both sides detached and flew off the vehicle while driving on the highway.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2013) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
May 27, 2023
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
I am financing a 2006 Lexus rx400h hybrid and the other day I went out to start it up and the light and everything came on but would not display ready and would not start. Check hybrid system with red triangle was on dash display along with several other warning lights, also when I put the key in the ignition it will release in the ACC position. Where I am purchasing the vehicle will not fix it sa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2016) - POWER TRAIN
May 26, 2023
Incident date: May 26, 2023
On 5-25-2023 my Transmission , suddenly downshifted into first gear at approx. 45 mi per hour. Had I been on the highway with a 65 mi per hour speed limit ,I may have gotten whiplash or possibly lost control of the vehicle. 5-26-2023 just going out and do not know what may or may not happen as yesterday's incident was totally random and never occurred before . My vehicle was recently inspected w... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
May 26, 2023
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
My power steering and stablalink keep malfunctioning. My power steering will go out on me while I'm driving!
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2023) - STEERING
May 26, 2023
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
My power steering and stablalink keep malfunctioning. My power steering will go out on me while I'm driving!
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 26, 2023
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
Power steering/stabilitrak keeps going out and malfunctioning WHILE DRIVING
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF R
(2023) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
May 26, 2023
Incident date: May 26, 2023
When driving approximately 65 mph on the highway, alert on the vehicle display came on saying to pull over the engine would shut down soon. We were able to pull over and the car no longer worked. We were driving with our family of young children in the car, had there been no shoulder to pull over on the highway we would have been extreme danger.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - STEERING
May 26, 2023
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
Steering wheel becomes stiff when driving at highway speeds, especially after the car has been operating for at least 20 minutes. The experience is similar to turning your steering wheel with the ignition off and no power assist. I thought I was going to lose control of the vehicle as I fought the steering wheel to stay centered in my lane and had to immediately pull over to the shoulder on the hi... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) - STEERING
May 26, 2023
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, his wife attempted to make a turn however, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The contact then stated that he pushed the vehicle into his driveway. The contact’s son retrieved the error codes: U300049-48, U300072-48 and U300096-C8 for the power steering module. The son... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2014) - SERVICE BRAKES
May 25, 2023
Incident date: May 24, 2023
The Anti-Lock Brake control module along with the Hydraulic control unit is failing. At any rate of speed, the traction control light and the ABS light comes on and off repeatedly. When this happens, the cruise control disengages which has cause the truck to slow down rapidly in heavy traffic causing other drivers to almost rear end my pregnant wife, 3 year old son and I. I had my local ram dealer... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - AIR BAGS
May 24, 2023
Incident date: May 20, 2023
Occupancy airbag sensor went on in vehicle and dealer stated that it would be about $5200 to fix the sensor as it is built into the seat. Per Dealer- safety hazard not to fix as its not guaranteed to go off in case of an accident.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - ENGINE
May 24, 2023
Incident date: May 20, 2023
The engine began smoking really bad when driving down highway and car locked down. It became undriveable. I was out of town when happened and had to have towed. Mechanic confirmed motor is bad and has to be replaced. Just had transmission replaced 2 weeks prior to this happening. Transmission has had to be replaced 2 x's since I have owned vehicle.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - ENGINE
May 24, 2023
Incident date: May 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pumped the accelerator pedal several times until the vehicle started to accelerate. The contact was able to drive to his destin... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2022) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 24, 2023
Incident date: May 24, 2023
Sliding door lock actuator failed to open door. I noticed a buzzing sound when opening recently and now it is shut down, it cannot open. I provided these two reports for your reference, and I need you to help me for Dodge to repair my vehicle. I filed complaint with the Texas Office of the Attorney General.
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2014) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 24, 2023
Incident date: Apr 21, 2023
We had the driver side back door fixed by dealer because it would not open. It would lock and unlock but not open from the outside or inside of car. Now the passenger back door is doing the same thing. I researched on line and there are a lot of same complaints. This is a very Serious issue in case of an accident and the people in the back could not exit the vehicle. I have contacted Hyundai but ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2014) - ENGINE
May 24, 2023
Incident date: Apr 21, 2023
Every time I start to accelerate from a stop. The transmission starts to stutter heavily and many times there were times the car would not accelerate causing the cars behind me to stop suddenly as to not hit me. Very dangerous as this is not normal which means something is wrong and one day it will just not accelerate at all and could cause a very bad accident. The next question asks date of the i... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2015) - FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
May 24, 2023
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that there was an unknown fluid on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact started that vehicle and became aware that diesel fuel was leaking from the fuel tank. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2006) - AIR BAGS
May 24, 2023
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Called local dealer they said call GM after 4 days received a call back from GM was told don't know when fix will be available , no loaner car, was told to sit and wait. So I have to make payments and pay registration while they take their time to find a fix. GM AND LOCAL DEALER VERY RUDE.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2015) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
May 24, 2023
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while utilizing the ADAS features including the Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicle unexpectedly braked. The contact stated that on another occasion while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Due to the failure, the vehicle abruptly stopped and caused the contacts wife’s seat belt to retract ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 22, 2023
On May 12, 2023 when driving through Albuquerque, NM on I-40 our panoramic sunroof exploded. As best we could tell, nothing hit it and there we no pressures changes as we were on the west side of Albuquerque headed west. Fortunately we did not have it open so no glass got in the car. We called our insurance after we stopped to buy plastic bags and tape to cover the damaged sunroof. Once we got... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "check fuel filler inlet" was displayed. The contact stated while refueling, gasoline spilled back out of the filler inlet. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, there was a strong fuel odor present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufactur... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - ENGINE
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 17, 2023
The engine light came on after replacing the front cylinder head and was illuminated before this repair. The engine has a constant clicking sound, and runs very rough and nearly to a stall constantly. The vehicle is using fuel at an alarming rate. The vehicle cannot be driven for any distance as the rpms are out of control when accelerating. Mechanics who have looked at the vehicle said this is... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 9, 2023
At random time, during slower speeds, many vehicle would “jerk” mad produce a Brake Booster Faulty warning and the brake light would illuminate on the console. The brakes would then become “spongy” and difficult to operate. The light would stay in, or turn off after a while and driving would resume as normal. Difficult to replicate but scary how random it is.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2017) - STEERING
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 9, 2023
Vehicle steering sticks and at times and locks while vehicle is in motion on highway and roads. Requires max effort to return to center and at times vehicle tries to follow lines on highway even with adaptive cruise control and lane departure system turned off. Very unsafe steering with almost a few accidents due to loss of control.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2017) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 9, 2023
Vehicle steering sticks and at times and locks while vehicle is in motion on highway and roads. Requires max effort to return to center and at times vehicle tries to follow lines on highway even with adaptive cruise control and lane departure system turned off. Very unsafe steering with almost a few accidents due to loss of control.
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 22, 2023
I brought the vehicle in on March 23, 2023, the side view mirror has seemed to shake for some time, we were told we just needed a new mirror and at $400, decided to not immediately repair, approximately 2 weeks later I went to the car wash and the sideview mirror came out and smashed against my window. I am told my vehicle is not part of the recall, but I had mentioned the mirror seeming to be no... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2010) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had water intrusion in the headlight housing. There was approximately 1 1/2 inch of water in the headlight housing. The contact was unable to see the roadway while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the Extended Warranty did not cover headlights. The v... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2014) - POWER TRAIN
May 23, 2023
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission experienced hard shifting from sixth to fifth gear. Additionally, while in the ECO Mode, the vehicle would not properly accelerate from a stationary position. During the failure, the transmission shifted to eighth gear with a loud whining sound coming from the vehicle however, the vehicle ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF ALLTRACK
(2017) - STRUCTURE:BODY
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 23, 2023
In the last 2 years, 3 of our 4 doors locks have failed to open the door from inside and outside. The dealer has made me bring it in to prove its broken. This is a saftey issue, now my driver's door is not working from outside and they want me to bring it it BEFORE ordering and waiting on parts. I am 70 years old and cannot climb over seats to get out. Someone is going to get trapped, and I hop... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF SPORTWAGEN
(2016) - SERVICE BRAKES
May 22, 2023
Incident date: May 14, 2023
My 2018 Ram 2500 started getting an intermittent "Service Electronic Brake System" console message and light followed by a "Service ABS System" warning. I researched the symptoms online and saw that the NHTSA is currently conducting an investigation into this issue with similar vehicles, and Ram is facing two class-action lawsuits about it. Further research says that this could cause a serious b... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2022) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 22, 2023
Incident date: May 21, 2023
Clear coat on blue Toyota started peeling a couple years ago and I took my car to Toyota to have the paint repaired, and now it os doing it again. I have seen numerous blue Toyotas of varying models that are doing the same thing.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
May 22, 2023
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Car feels like you are driving over rumble strips when the road is clearly smooth. Tried buying new tires and nothing would fix it. Then looked online and found many thousands of people having same issue that has affected all gm 8 speed transmissions for several years. There is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) 18-NA-355 on it due to how many people have had this issue. It explains that GM wa... Read more