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 15,318 complaints for VOLVO
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving a Nuna RAVA child safety seat. The harness straps loosened on their own without the harness release button being pressed or otherwise intentionally operated. This occurred while the child was secured in the car seat. This malfunction presents a serious risk to child safety. If the harness loosens during vehicle travel, particularly in a sudden sto... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
BCM Trouble Codes: C000101, C000201, and C008248 Incident & Defect Summary: The Brake Control Module (BCM) experienced a premature internal electrical circuit failure at only 55,188 total vehicle miles. This vehicle was purchased directly from an authorized Volvo retail showroom (Volvo Cars Marin) in 2020 at 36,434 miles, meaning this primary active safety infrastructure failed after just 18,754 ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
BCM Trouble Codes: C000101, C000201, and C008248 Incident & Defect Summary: The Brake Control Module (BCM) experienced a premature internal electrical circuit failure at only 55,188 total vehicle miles. This vehicle was purchased directly from an authorized Volvo retail showroom (Volvo Cars Marin) in 2020 at 36,434 miles, meaning this primary active safety infrastructure failed after just 18,754 ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
BCM Trouble Codes: C000101, C000201, and C008248 Incident & Defect Summary: The Brake Control Module (BCM) experienced a premature internal electrical circuit failure at only 55,188 total vehicle miles. This vehicle was purchased directly from an authorized Volvo retail showroom (Volvo Cars Marin) in 2020 at 36,434 miles, meaning this primary active safety infrastructure failed after just 18,754 ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
On [XXX], at 82,371 miles, my daughter's 2022 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge was diagnosed with DTC BECM-P0BBD92 (Hybrid/High Voltage Battery Pack Voltage Variation) and a confirmed Cell Module F failure (Repair Order #[XXX], Bob Penkhus Motor Co Volvo Cars, Colorado Springs, CO). The dealer instructed her not to charge the vehicle pending repair. The replacement part (Cell Module F, Part #36003341) has b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
On [XXX], at 82,371 miles, my daughter's 2022 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge was diagnosed with DTC BECM-P0BBD92 (Hybrid/High Voltage Battery Pack Voltage Variation) and a confirmed Cell Module F failure (Repair Order #[XXX], Bob Penkhus Motor Co Volvo Cars, Colorado Springs, CO). The dealer instructed her not to charge the vehicle pending repair. The replacement part (Cell Module F, Part #36003341) has b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
On [XXX], at 82,371 miles, my daughter's 2022 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge was diagnosed with DTC BECM-P0BBD92 (Hybrid/High Voltage Battery Pack Voltage Variation) and a confirmed Cell Module F failure (Repair Order #[XXX], Bob Penkhus Motor Co Volvo Cars, Colorado Springs, CO). The dealer instructed her not to charge the vehicle pending repair. The replacement part (Cell Module F, Part #36003341) has b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Volvo S60. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to be locked, and it was possible that the door could open while driving. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V849000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer confirmed the failure and determined that the battery drainage had caused the failur... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2026
Failure of the onboard AC charging component, known as the Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) or onboard charger module. This vehicle would not charge on AC current, but could only be charged on DC current. This is a safety issue, as you may get stranded without access to a DC capable charger, since AC is the primary source for a majority of EV owners. Problem has been confirmed by the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2026
Failure of the onboard AC charging component, known as the Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) or onboard charger module. This vehicle would not charge on AC current, but could only be charged on DC current. This is a safety issue, as you may get stranded without access to a DC capable charger, since AC is the primary source for a majority of EV owners. Problem has been confirmed by the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
Component Failure & Inspection Availability: Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) / Audio Module (AUD) running Android Automotive OS. The vehicle and its components are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The audio system completely crashes approximately every 3 drive cycles. This failure disables all safety-critical audio features, including turn signal clicks, backup camera and parking ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
Component Failure & Inspection Availability: Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) / Audio Module (AUD) running Android Automotive OS. The vehicle and its components are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The audio system completely crashes approximately every 3 drive cycles. This failure disables all safety-critical audio features, including turn signal clicks, backup camera and parking ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
Component Failure & Inspection Availability: Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) / Audio Module (AUD) running Android Automotive OS. The vehicle and its components are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The audio system completely crashes approximately every 3 drive cycles. This failure disables all safety-critical audio features, including turn signal clicks, backup camera and parking ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
The electronic tailgate struts/motors have failed for the 3rd time in the cars lifetime. The risk this presents is sudden dropping of the tailgate on heads, fingers or anything in between the ground and the lifted tailgate. The dealer has given a quote for replacement but will not give a quote on the diagnosis instead, simply telling me over the phone the struts need replaced and sending me a $138... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2026
My 2026 Volvo EX90, with approximately 3,000 miles, experienced a complete vehicle failure while being used as our family vehicle in Phoenix, Arizona. While my nanny was driving my two young children, including my [XXX], the air conditioning stopped functioning during approximately 110–115°F outside temperatures. After she parked, the vehicle’s displays went dark and the vehicle became compl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2026
My 2026 Volvo EX90, with approximately 3,000 miles, experienced a complete vehicle failure while being used as our family vehicle in Phoenix, Arizona. While my nanny was driving my two young children, including my [XXX], the air conditioning stopped functioning during approximately 110–115°F outside temperatures. After she parked, the vehicle’s displays went dark and the vehicle became compl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2026
My 2026 Volvo EX90, with approximately 3,000 miles, experienced a complete vehicle failure while being used as our family vehicle in Phoenix, Arizona. While my nanny was driving my two young children, including my [XXX], the air conditioning stopped functioning during approximately 110–115°F outside temperatures. After she parked, the vehicle’s displays went dark and the vehicle became compl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
Was driving on a freeway when tire pressure light came on and tire blew out a few minutes later. I could not see the events of what happened behind me, but when my tire blew I got over to the right shoulder as safely as possible to move out of the way of oncoming traffic on the freeway. This incident occurred after only 2 months of driving car (3,000 miles on the car).
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
2017 Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, approximately 81,000 miles, experienced intermittent hesitation/loss of propulsion when accelerating. When acceleration is requested, the vehicle can hesitate before power is delivered, creating a serious safety concern when entering, merging into, or crossing traffic because expected acceleration is not immediately available. Diagnostic testing identified fault... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
2017 Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, approximately 81,000 miles, experienced intermittent hesitation/loss of propulsion when accelerating. When acceleration is requested, the vehicle can hesitate before power is delivered, creating a serious safety concern when entering, merging into, or crossing traffic because expected acceleration is not immediately available. Diagnostic testing identified fault... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
2017 Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, approximately 81,000 miles, experienced intermittent hesitation/loss of propulsion when accelerating. When acceleration is requested, the vehicle can hesitate before power is delivered, creating a serious safety concern when entering, merging into, or crossing traffic because expected acceleration is not immediately available. Diagnostic testing identified fault... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
All audio including all warnings intermittently shuts off. No warning when it fails.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
All audio including all warnings intermittently shuts off. No warning when it fails.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
All audio including all warnings intermittently shuts off. No warning when it fails.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Volvo XC90 PHEV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact refused to drive the vehicle due to the abnormal odor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact rented a vehicle for a while to go to scheduled appoin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
It appears, that due to a production defect, the right and left rear driver and passenger side windows are permanently fogged up making it difficult to see when driving. I have seen other reports that make the same observation, , but there apparently is no safety or production recalls by Volvo. This is definitely a production and a safety issue!
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
After the recent software update to 5.1.17, the sound in the car ceases to work. None of the emergency sensors sound, the directional doesn’t make sound, the radio doesn’t work. You have to completely reset the entire electronics system, which then deletes certain app data and requires re-login. Volvo Support has not been helpful. Online forums report that this is an issue for many owners.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
After the recent software update to 5.1.17, the sound in the car ceases to work. None of the emergency sensors sound, the directional doesn’t make sound, the radio doesn’t work. You have to completely reset the entire electronics system, which then deletes certain app data and requires re-login. Volvo Support has not been helpful. Online forums report that this is an issue for many owners.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
After the recent software update to 5.1.17, the sound in the car ceases to work. None of the emergency sensors sound, the directional doesn’t make sound, the radio doesn’t work. You have to completely reset the entire electronics system, which then deletes certain app data and requires re-login. Volvo Support has not been helpful. Online forums report that this is an issue for many owners.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
When putting vehicle in reverse, camera can become stuck or not load at all impacting rear visibility. This was previously recalled and Volvo claims a remedy through software update but I believe this is processor based and they will need to replace the units with their snapdragon processor to rectify this. Their newer models include the snapdragon processor and don’t have this issue.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
While my own 2026 Volvo EX90 was in for warranty repair (air conditioning compressor failure, believed related to a recent over-the-air software update), the dealership provided me with a loaner vehicle that exhibits its own intermittent climate control malfunction: the air conditioning shuts off completely when the vehicle comes to a stop and resumes when the vehicle is put back in motion. This o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
While my own 2026 Volvo EX90 was in for warranty repair (air conditioning compressor failure, believed related to a recent over-the-air software update), the dealership provided me with a loaner vehicle that exhibits its own intermittent climate control malfunction: the air conditioning shuts off completely when the vehicle comes to a stop and resumes when the vehicle is put back in motion. This o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Electrical, Parking Collision Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Warning. Electrical is the root cause........the entire audio subsystem drops after the AAOS 5.1.17 update. It’s not just the rear cross traffic and parking collision warnings: ALL audio goes, including media, chimes, reverse proximity tones, and even the turn-signal/blinker sound. The rear camera still shows an image, so it’s not o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Electrical, Parking Collision Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Warning. Electrical is the root cause........the entire audio subsystem drops after the AAOS 5.1.17 update. It’s not just the rear cross traffic and parking collision warnings: ALL audio goes, including media, chimes, reverse proximity tones, and even the turn-signal/blinker sound. The rear camera still shows an image, so it’s not o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Electrical, Parking Collision Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Warning. Electrical is the root cause........the entire audio subsystem drops after the AAOS 5.1.17 update. It’s not just the rear cross traffic and parking collision warnings: ALL audio goes, including media, chimes, reverse proximity tones, and even the turn-signal/blinker sound. The rear camera still shows an image, so it’s not o... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the driver-assistance, lane-assist/steering intervention, and automatic braking systems in my 2026 Volvo XC60. I purchased the vehicle new on May 20, 2026, and it currently has approximately 10,000 miles. I have experienced repeated unexpected steering intervention while driving. On multiple occasions, the vehicle’s lane-assistance system has p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the driver-assistance, lane-assist/steering intervention, and automatic braking systems in my 2026 Volvo XC60. I purchased the vehicle new on May 20, 2026, and it currently has approximately 10,000 miles. I have experienced repeated unexpected steering intervention while driving. On multiple occasions, the vehicle’s lane-assistance system has p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the driver-assistance, lane-assist/steering intervention, and automatic braking systems in my 2026 Volvo XC60. I purchased the vehicle new on May 20, 2026, and it currently has approximately 10,000 miles. I have experienced repeated unexpected steering intervention while driving. On multiple occasions, the vehicle’s lane-assistance system has p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
I purchased a brand-new 2026 Volvo EX90 just 4days ago from a volvo dealership . Yesterday, the vehicle’s software proximity logic malfunctioned and auto-locked the doors while my baby was strapped inside. My physical key card and my phone with the digital key were both inside the cabin. To make matters worse, when I tried to use the Volvo remote app to unlock it with a different phone, the ap... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
I purchased a brand-new 2026 Volvo EX90 just 4days ago from a volvo dealership . Yesterday, the vehicle’s software proximity logic malfunctioned and auto-locked the doors while my baby was strapped inside. My physical key card and my phone with the digital key were both inside the cabin. To make matters worse, when I tried to use the Volvo remote app to unlock it with a different phone, the ap... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
Hood latch assembly corrodes making it impossible to open hood or service the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
On 25th August, while driving my brand-new leased 2026 Volvo XC90 B6 (approximately 4,930 miles) at highway speeds of 60 to 65 mph on the interstate i80 NJ at night, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion. The engine abruptly shut off without warning, causing the vehicle to immediately and rapidly lose speed.Traffic conditions were active, and a semi-truck was directly behi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
On 25th August, while driving my brand-new leased 2026 Volvo XC90 B6 (approximately 4,930 miles) at highway speeds of 60 to 65 mph on the interstate i80 NJ at night, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion. The engine abruptly shut off without warning, causing the vehicle to immediately and rapidly lose speed.Traffic conditions were active, and a semi-truck was directly behi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
On 25th August, while driving my brand-new leased 2026 Volvo XC90 B6 (approximately 4,930 miles) at highway speeds of 60 to 65 mph on the interstate i80 NJ at night, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion. The engine abruptly shut off without warning, causing the vehicle to immediately and rapidly lose speed.Traffic conditions were active, and a semi-truck was directly behi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
On July 28, 2026, at approximately 3:30 p.m., I was stopped in my 2025 Volvo EX30 at the intersection of Laurel Avenue and Mount Pleasant Avenue in Livingston, New Jersey. When the light turned green, I applied the accelerator normally. The vehicle unexpectedly surged/lurched forward and struck another vehicle. After the accident, the tow-truck operator reported that the Volvo lurched forward thr... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
On July 28, 2026, at approximately 3:30 p.m., I was stopped in my 2025 Volvo EX30 at the intersection of Laurel Avenue and Mount Pleasant Avenue in Livingston, New Jersey. When the light turned green, I applied the accelerator normally. The vehicle unexpectedly surged/lurched forward and struck another vehicle. After the accident, the tow-truck operator reported that the Volvo lurched forward thr... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
This submission supplements NHTSA Complaint #11759206, filed on August 24, 2026, regarding a 2018 Volvo XC90, in order to provide additional relevant information that came to light after the original filing. At the time of the first safety-critical malfunction (in-vehicle warnings including "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" "Gear Lever Locked" and related electrical system symptoms)... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
This submission supplements NHTSA Complaint #11759206, filed on August 24, 2026, regarding a 2018 Volvo XC90, in order to provide additional relevant information that came to light after the original filing. At the time of the first safety-critical malfunction (in-vehicle warnings including "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" "Gear Lever Locked" and related electrical system symptoms)... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
This submission supplements NHTSA Complaint #11759206, filed on August 24, 2026, regarding a 2018 Volvo XC90, in order to provide additional relevant information that came to light after the original filing. At the time of the first safety-critical malfunction (in-vehicle warnings including "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" "Gear Lever Locked" and related electrical system symptoms)... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2026
While driving the vehicle at a low rate of speed it presenter a Critical Error message which appeared across the drivers screen for approximately 5-10 seconds. The message then immediately disappeared and the vehicle shut down mid operation and came to an abrupt stop on its own. From there it was unable to be moved, switched into neutral/drive or park. Luckily this happened on a neighborhood stree... Read more