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: May 4, 2023

BLOWN CYLINDER HEAD GASKET ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

Incident date: Apr 16, 2023

breaks, control of vehicle staying in lane -lane departure failure, door locks, auto remote failure, multiple warning lights system failures on dash, vehicle lights. car has gone off road, right on highway (right lane) and left on highway to middle lane, almost hit other vehicle. Dealer put new batteries in remote (second new set) low battery alert 2 hours later, remote failure. passed diagnost... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

Vehículo se apagó en vía de rodaje, prendiendo todas las alertas de seguridad del tablero. Se envió a taller con diagnóstico P0087. Google Translate; Vehicle shut down on taxiway, turning on all security alerts on the dashboard. It was sent to the workshop with diagnosis P0087. LK*

Incident date: May 4, 2023

The contact owns a 1996 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the SRS air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the SRS unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.

Incident date: May 3, 2023

The dashboard light on my jeep compass is so dim during the daylight hours I am unable to read or see and of the tires gauge or the fuel tank display. If the uconnect warning of a low fuel wouldn't of shown up on my phone I could have ran out of gas and not know it. This isn't safe. I have taken the vehicle in several times and have been told the same thing. There is nothing wrong with it. Now... Read more

Incident date: Jan 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the PHEV mode failed to function as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

Incident date: May 3, 2023

Unknown as to exact issue. In August 2021, spark plug blew (according to dealer) in the middle of an intersection after the auto “off” and the engine would not turn back on at approximately 8K miles. The spark plug was replaced under warranty. Starting in April 2023, around 31K miles, on two separate occasions after the auto start/stop is in use. It will turn off unexpectedly and without warni... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2023

Incident date: Aug 1, 2021

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and stalling. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and after restarting, failed to shift gear and became inoperable. The contact stated that various unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

The contact rented a 2019 Chevrolet Trax equipped with Uniroyal Tires, Tire Line: Tiger Paw, Tire Size: 205/70/R16, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The contact pulled off the roadway. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that 9 -inches of tread had detached from the front passenger’s side tire. The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

I was driving on the highway around 60 mph. Without warning, my car's brakes fully engaged. There was no car or object ahead of me. A warning light that had the words "Brake Booster" was displayed but I couldn't make out what else it said as I was trying to regain control of the vehicle. Thankfully, there was no one behind me otherwise this could very well have resulted in a high-speed accident. T... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V165000 (Back Over Prevention) 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 con... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, smoke was suddenly coming through the air vents and vehicle started losing motive power before stalling. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side main wiring harness was charred and melted and needed to be replaced. The wiring harness was replaced but the failure i... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2023

Paint is flaking off

Incident date: Dec 21, 2022

The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was foggy. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V644000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2022

The steering wheel was received misaligned from the factory. When the steering wheel is held straight the vehicle veers to the left.

Incident date: May 1, 2023

1. Car would not stop, while backing out of parking space and almost backed into parked car, transmission put into drive and moved forward hit curb, hopped curb and slammed into embankment. 4/12/23 2. Car would not stop driving down steep driveway and drove onto MLK JR BLVD fortunately avoided any other cars. Proceeded uphill slowly and brakes seeded to begin to work better as transmission warme... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

Vehicle will occasionally fail to properly initialize its safety systems, causing ABS, Traction Control, FCW, warning, auto stop, auto hold lights to come on and the aforementioned systems to fail. This disables driver assist features and important safety systems. Kia Dealer does not attempt to resolve. Claims that “we parked too close to a tree and the vehicle thinks it was in an accident” wo... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed an... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear driver's side door actuator motor had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was repaired, however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was a... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Taurus X. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and hauling a trailer, the tow hitch detached from the vehicle, causing the passenger’s side of the trailer to collapse. No one was injured. The contact was able pull over on the side of the roadway with the driver’s side of the trailer still attached to the vehicle. The contact detached the trailer from the vehicle... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

Incident date: Dec 1, 2022

In the last 8 months, I have replaced the windshield twice. I assumed it was due to rock strikes but neither time was a strike mark present. The second time I heard a loud pop and an approximately 8-inch crack appeared. I believe the material is either defective or too thin, especially after reading about numerous similar incidents. Subaru's response is to try to sell a windshield warranty. What w... Read more

Incident date: Mar 18, 2023

My infotainment center has repeatedly failed during operation. It is distorted while driving, freezes, stuck on previous screen display. This causes all safety features to be inoperable. I can’t see the camera back up display. I can’t see the map or upcoming exit/next direction. The Honda genius features are impacted by this. My vehicle suddenly thinks I am exiting while I’m driving and rand... Read more

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

Paint peeling across the front of vehicle. Common problem noted for Kia vehicles with Pearl White paint

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

While driving down the freeway on 4/29/2023 my Tesla Model Y slammed the brakes on for seemingly no reason without warning. This incident occurred with auto pilot and auto steering engaged. The day was clear and road was clear.

Incident date: Apr 29, 2023

Green wire burn throughout the entire wiring harness..From alternator to engine fuse box and also to inside fuse box.. Bypassing the blown fuses and/or relays!!

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

The car was parked in a safe location over night. When I attempted to start it in the morning the car ran poorly and displayed numerous warning light on the dash including evap control, brakes, steering, and various automated systems. Upon calling the dealer I was told to it was not safe to drive and to have it towed to the dealer. Which I did.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

CAR BURNED DOWN STARTED SMOKING FROM ENGINE AS I WAS DRIVING ON TURNPIKE TOWARDS ORLANDO, FL

Fire

Incident date: Apr 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated, with the engine overheated message displayed. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opene... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2021

The bike surges at about 6,000 rpm. Have had it to dealer 5 times total and they can’t find issue. I’ve offered to take bike to a dyno so I can reproduce issue. But Mark Pechko from Bmw North America won’t let dealers do that. Causes hand slipping on throttle. Attached is link to TikTok where I preform issue over and over in a safe manner and with in the law. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRToH... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2021

Found vehicle was leaking gas from the passenger rear wheel well throught the liner. Had it inspected by a coworker for the issue and we deemed it was the charcoal canister at first. I ordered a new one and replaced it but concern persisted. Spoke with a former vw technician who got into contact with current technicians who stated to replace the gas tank. Had it inspected at a different location a... Read more

Incident date: Mar 25, 2023

For the past 9-10 months and on occasions, when I step on the brake pedal to either slow down or stop from a normal cruise speed, the engine rpm quickly jumps up to 2000 - 2500 rpm. I have to quickly brake harder and *place the auto transmission selector in NEUTRAL to fully stop the car from lunging forward*. The date below is the most recent date.

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Volvo S60. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and slowing down for a crosswalk with pedestrians in the crosswalk, the vehicle independently accelerated while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that she had not noticed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

The 03A recall has now been performed on our vehicle, and we are not sure if we will pick it up to drive again or not. We are not sure if we trust it. Hybrid system faults have happened three times, this is the best of my memory. April 2022 I had noticed the battery wasn't really being used driving regular routes & made a service appointment. Before the appt we saw a Hybrid System Fault. The deal... Read more

Incident date: Apr 28, 2023

Incident date: Apr 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V137000 (Seat Belts, Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was performed. Recently, the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the warning light was cleared; however, the light returned soon... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2023

Unknown I had just financed the vehicle 2-3 days prior.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Apr 26, 2023

Unknown I had just financed the vehicle 2-3 days prior.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Apr 26, 2023

Unknown I had just financed the vehicle 2-3 days prior.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jan 1, 2023

I purchased my vehicle at 51,700 miles. Approx 2 months …1,000-2,000 miles later my car went into limp mode and wouldn’t exceed 20 mph. I also noticed that my vehicle was consuming 4-qts of oil every 1,000 miles since then and is experiencing engine failure. It’s a safety hazard to myself and others as the car just shuts off completely while driving. Hyundai won’t do anything about it. I h... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Can-Am Spyder RT. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she attempted to activate the cruise control, however, the vehicle failed to operate as designed. The contact then stated that she noticed that the brake light remained illuminated although the brake pedal was not depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained. The contact the... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse while the transmission was shifted into reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the control module needed to be replaced; however, the part to do ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2023

While trying to make a turn in a busy intersection, the car stall and loses power it goes into a limp mode. The car slowly limps out of traffic to the side. Note VDC off and 2 red - neg sign brake light is on. Turn the ignition off for a few minutes. Turn ignition back on and no problem. The car starts up no problem. I had the brakes check out and no issues. I took to Nissan dealership . T... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) needed to be replaced. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not inclu... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2023

While driving down the highway, the transmission line rapidly failed and caused the vehicle to stop the motor. This was a sudden and rapid loss of transmission fluid and we were very lucky to be able to control the vehicle over to the side of the road. There were ZERO indicator lights to indicate a transmission fluid leak or issue prior to this sudden issue. When researching online, a Ford Cert... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2023

The seat occupancy sensor malfunctioned. The technician said the computer showed it had moisture that caused the problem. I had the sensor replaced and the repair shop siad there was no sign of moisture contamination. I took pictures of the seat cushion allow with the imbedded sensor and there is no sign of moisture. I feel the sensor was defective and BMW should have been responsible for the repl... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that after driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle was shifted into reverse and the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted the gear shifter several times and then drove for a short distance before the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated; the vehicle was ab... 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