Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 15,069 complaints for VOLVO
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after stopping and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact's fiancée arrived on the scene and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle later failed to restart, and the gear shifter seized. The message "Gear Lever Lock" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town And Country Touring. The contact stated that on several occasions while parked and turned off, the tailgate button was depressed from inside of the vehicle, and the tailgate closed inadvertently. On one occasion while parked with the tailgate opened, the hatchback closed on her head and would release. The contact sustained a head injury. Medical attention was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving approximately 46 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the roof of the vehicle. The following day the contact discovered that the glass sunroof had exploded and there was a hole in the sunroof glass. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Passenger seat light remain on for 4 months the went away. Then the airbag light came on. Took it to Infiniti of Tampa where they supposedly done diagnostics. They cause additional lights to appear on my dashboard to include the steering hard to turn. When I purchased the vehicle in October 2016 I was unaware of any recalls. I found out about a month ago there approximately four recalls for 201... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Critical safety concern regarding the braking system in my Toyota Rav4, 2021 which I believe may warrant further investigation for a potential recall as there are none at this time. The issue pertains to the breaking system, which locks up unexpectadly during use, casuing sudden and severe break locking without warning (unable to break). I suspect as many others online who have mentioned this issu... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
2 years after purchasing a new vehicle, the transmission began to pop and cause the car to jerk upon a cold start, RPM would increase but the speedometer would not go over 20mph. There were no error messages or alerts. I reported it several times, and the dealership technicians could not duplicate the issue and stated that the car was driving as it was designed even after providing video proof. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
On Saturday, [XXX], I drove from Woodbridge, VA to Fairfax, VA without any issues or error messages. Car was parked and locked for approximately 2 1/4 hours. When I came back out to the car and opened the door, the display behind the steering wheel stated "System communication fault. Pilot Assist deactivated. Find a place to stop and select P to park. When parked, the system will reset." I ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Unknown But my concern is the clock spring recall. I would like that fixed I don't understand why I can't have it fixed under the recall for my Jeep Wrangler 2 door. I am worried that the air bag won't work... right now the horn and a few other controls on the steering wheel doesn't work. So I believe this vehicle is part of the recall.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2025
Unknown But my concern is the clock spring recall. I would like that fixed I don't understand why I can't have it fixed under the recall for my Jeep Wrangler 2 door. I am worried that the air bag won't work... right now the horn and a few other controls on the steering wheel doesn't work. So I believe this vehicle is part of the recall.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
When driving down a major highway going 70MPH, my 2017 Chevy Malibu speeds decreased, the brakes locked up, and the vehicle would not accelerate. Eventually the car came to a complete stop and an “engine power reduced” notification came up on the dash. I was able to pull off to the side of the road but I was traveling at a high rate of speed on a busy road, I almost got hit multiple times by p... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Vehicle started making intermittent whining noise around 75,000 miles but Toyota service advisor at the time told me it was normal and since my transmission had been serviced on schedule, it was nothing to worry about. Around 135,000 miles the vehicle sometimes would operate completely normal, and at other times would suddenly seem to struggle to get up to speed especially on the highway somewhere... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V499000 (Electrical System); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that a cost would be charged because the manufacturer had filed for bankruptcy. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. Additionally, the contact received n... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
The contact owned a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that his partner was driving at 50 MPH, a light ahead had just turned red, with two vehicles stopped just a couple of feet ahead of her, the contact stated that his partner had proceeded to frantically attempt to brake, however, the vehicle did not brake in time, and the automatic braking assist did not initiate. The complete front end ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
For three years, this Mustang will lurch frequently after you shift into first or reverse from park. I had it looked at Paradise Ford 3 years ago and they REFUSED to look at transmission until the car had 125k miles on it. At that time, the car only had 98k miles on it. I tried to insist, but they refused. The service helper was named Mark, I believe. The other day I was driving on a 10mph p... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
When braking the car pulls hard off the road. inspection showed rear subframe rusted and control arms are not attached securely to frame. Unsafe to drive
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
On December 3, 2024, the transmission on my 2017 Nissan Rogue would not shift out of 2nd gear. I was driving home from work on a crowded freeway. When the traffic subsided, I could not make my vehicle drive faster than 20mph. I exited the freeway as soon as I could and pulled over to call the Auto Club for a tow. The tow truck driver said that this is a known condition with this model of transm... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
Battery dies during vehicle update spontanteniouly. After jumoing vehicle to start it all systems will not return to normal causing brakes not to function normally. I jumped my vehicle after one system update and brakes failed to engage almost causing an acident. these vehicles should not be on the road due to the software safety flaws. GMC is aware of this and still have no fix for the problem. T... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle started however the vehicle drove slowly. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
on 12.25.24 I was driving when 4 warning alerts suddenly appeared on my dash: Forward Alert Not Available, ASPC not available, Stability control not available, Autonomous Emergency Braking System not available. I was able to pull over to a parking lot to read the alerts. However, when I tried to reverse out of the parking space to return home, there was no power in reverse. Luckily I was able t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
The bigger issue is the car will prematurely dim the display and dusk/dawn - making it very hard to see at those times - even with max dimmer setting. Took it to the dealer multiple times they say it’s working as expected but it’s a known issue for all lyriq owners that GM ignores
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
I was driving at about 40 mph and the car lost all power and stopped in the middle of the road. Most all of the warning lights were on like low air pressure, reduced brakes and a brake problem light etc. Turned the car off and restarted and drove another 5 miles with the brake problem light still on. Stopped and restarted car and the brake light went off and all seems normal now. From my reading o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
The class three hitch receiver is well above an acceptable tolerance causing the hitch to move within the receiver and cause damage to the receiver. This abundance of "play" in the receiver was duplicated with a brand new hitch as well. My safety as well as others was put at risk through the risk of excessive torque being applied to the hitch/receiver through it's overly large size potentially cau... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
Cam phasers make engine rattle at startup and idle. A recall has been put out but the dealer did not get the issue fix and sold it anyway. Also rear sensors don't work right.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
Automatic transmission issues. When putting car into reverse, the car pauses and then jumps into gear very hard. When driving down the road above 2k rpm, the car will drop into first gear, pegging the rpm gauge and throwing you forward. Only way to resolve is to pull over and cycle power. This happened multiple times with cars almost hitting me.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
While driving on an interstate at approximately 65 mph, i crossed a bridge. When i ran over the expansion joint the steering wheel started violently shaking in my hands. It continued until i slowed down to a near stop and then was fine. On the same trip, it did this several times. When I took the jeep to a local dealer, they told me the steering damper (original to the vehicle) was defective... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
Reverse starter keep going out Had replace two time in one year
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
On Dec. 19 the infotainment system and the instrument panels both went blank. I was driving away from my home. I touched a button on the steering wheel that controls the content of the screen that is the main instrument panel. The heads up display failed as well. The car kept running, but I could see any information such as my speed, my battery level or any of the other usual information. I co... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR THE 2016 -2020 HONDA HRV THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THE WARRNTY IS EXTENDED DO TO THIS PROBLEM AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO RECALL DESPITE THE EXTENSION OF THIS WARRNTY THE WARRNTY COMPANY REFUSED MY CLAIM FOR SAID ISSUSE
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
See attached document for complaint.
Crash
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
When the car is started up cold, it will sometimes start to stall on the road. Turning on and off the car usually gets it working correctly again. Usually will only happen if the temp is at or near freezing. 2015 Honda Accord EX. This has been. Happening for years, but Honda says that there’s no open recalls even though this seems to be similar to the recall (23V858000) from 12/17/2023.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
This vehicle has the same issue as other recalled GMC Sierra vehicles - the brake booster pump is failing, causing braking difficulty, particularly at low RPM and after repeated presses of the brake pedal.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
On Dec 9, 2024 I was driving my 2022 BMW X5 45E on (in EV mode) local roads at approximately 30-35mph when all of a sudden I lost power and the steering wheel became tight. My instrument panels all showed a multitude of errors including: "Chassis stabilization", "Power Supply", "Reduced Power", "Transmssion Malfuction", and others I do not recall. I was fortunately able to turn into a parking lo... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
On Dec 9, 2024 I was driving my 2022 BMW X5 45E on (in EV mode) local roads at approximately 30-35mph when all of a sudden I lost power and the steering wheel became tight. My instrument panels all showed a multitude of errors including: "Chassis stabilization", "Power Supply", "Reduced Power", "Transmssion Malfuction", and others I do not recall. I was fortunately able to turn into a parking lo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
While driving through a parking lot on [XXX], leaves blew in front of car and it automatically came to an abrupt stop. While driving on [XXX] on [XXX] at approximately 70 MPH, without any encroaching vehicles and with no road obstructions, the automatic emergency braking temporarily engaged on 2 occasions, indicator on dash indicated that it occurred, and I felt the wheels lock up for a short tim... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Front passenger door and rear driver side door lock does not unlock from the outside when the truck is unlocked. Manually have to get inside the truck to unlock the doors. Eventually the front passenger door lock got stuck and the latch was not even working to keep the door closed.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-In-Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal had to be depressed abnormally hard to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Took it to a mechanic was informed I had coolant leak into the 2nd rear cylinder cracking the head. Which caused the car to prematurely overheat and stall randomly on the highway. Was notified there is a issuse with coolant leaks with this model from the mechanic for the 2017 ford escape ecoboost models. Only had the coolant light come on the day prior to stalling.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
This vehicle has 88400 miles, it out of warranty, which I know this, I use AMSOIL ASM SIG SERIES SYN SAE 0W-20 , 5.3L GAS. TWO YEARS AGO, I CHANGED OIL AT RICHARD BUICK GMC IN DAYTON, OH AND SENT A SAMPLE OF THE OIL TO OIL ANALYZERS FOR AN ANALYSIS, THEY SET IT BACK, IT SHOWED THERE WAS A LEVEL 4 SEVERE GASOLINE IN THE OIL. THEY CHANGED THE HIGH SPEEP FULE PUMP, BOTH IN JECTORS, AND IT THOUGHT IT ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Insight. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 no... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
After latest Tesla software upgrade, all cameras and GPS stops working. All automatic functionalities of the car stops working without cameras, and it is really unsafe to drive, for example back up the car since the physical rear view mirror is very small, and car is naturally designed with those cameras to function properly.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
After latest Tesla software upgrade, all cameras and GPS stops working. All automatic functionalities of the car stops working without cameras, and it is really unsafe to drive, for example back up the car since the physical rear view mirror is very small, and car is naturally designed with those cameras to function properly.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
Seat belt became detached from the seat on the drivers side where it attaches to the left hand side of the seat.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
I went through a car wash and then pulled into the first parking spot near the vacuum cleaners. As I was braking and coming to a stop, the car suddenly lurched forward and accelerated on its own. Despite pressing the brake pedal multiple times, the car did not stop until it went about 15ft. To avoid hitting the building wall directly in front of me, I swerved to the left. The car collided with the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective clut... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V720000 (Electrical System); 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
This vehicle has only been serviced at Ford since our purchase. We have not noticed any leaks after having the oil change in April 2024; however, we have noticed and reported in the past to the Advisor the rattling/ticking coming from the engine while the vehicle is running but nothing was was mentioned by the technician/Service Advisor after having vehicle serviced until recently. We took the tru... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Windshield wipers quit working while raining and driving. I was able to get home even though I couldn’t see. I tried turning the car on and off multiple times and testing the windshield wipers but they still didn’t work. After about 10 mins, I restarted the car and the wipers worked again. I took video of the wipers not working while the car was on. They will work fine and then all of the sud... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
This lead to an injury accident which totaled the car. I have documentation stating that the recall was fixed, but after I moved to Germany with the Army, the recall regularly activated the active handling when not needed (e.g parking) but then when we started slipping, the active handling did not engage and we crashed, totaling the car. The airbags did not engage even though the car played pinbal... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
This unit is a 2024 Thor Rize class B RV on a 2023 Ram Promaster chassis. The FCW frequently and regularly turns off and will not reset. The FCW light illuminates and appears to affect other random electrical systems that also illuminate. I can manually reset it in the safety settings sometimes but regardless, it shuts off at will. This event is constant in all road, weather and driving conditions... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
Hit a deer that impacted the passenger side of the vehicle. Passenger seat was occupied, and door had to be pried open by tow truck driver to get passenger out. Entire right side, from the "L" logo to the front fender was destroyed. The passenger airbag did not deploy, nor did emergency braking or collision avoidance warning go off as deer was crossing from the left (driver) side to passenger s... Read more
Crash