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: Apr 22, 2024
Since last four months I get multiple warning lights with alarm in my car . 1) Engine failure contact dealer immediately announcement 2) steering assist failure announcement ( & steering becomes heavy) 2) Hill assist failure 3) rear park aid failure announcement 4) 911 assist is not operational contact dealer . The odometer and speedometer goes blank and I can not see what speed I am driving at. I... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
Since last four months I get multiple warning lights with alarm in my car . 1) Engine failure contact dealer immediately announcement 2) steering assist failure announcement ( & steering becomes heavy) 2) Hill assist failure 3) rear park aid failure announcement 4) 911 assist is not operational contact dealer . The odometer and speedometer goes blank and I can not see what speed I am driving at. I... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
12-29-2023, the Kia Sorento started smoking on the way home. When I got home I opened the hood and saw fire. I put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. On 1-9-2024, I made an appointment with Archer Kia and had the car towed there for a diagnosis. After a month with no response, the service manager at Kia advised me to contact Kia Corporation. I spoke to a representative and was assigned a case ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
12-29-2023, the Kia Sorento started smoking on the way home. When I got home I opened the hood and saw fire. I put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. On 1-9-2024, I made an appointment with Archer Kia and had the car towed there for a diagnosis. After a month with no response, the service manager at Kia advised me to contact Kia Corporation. I spoke to a representative and was assigned a case ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Periodic irregular intervention by the vehicle safety system applying braking force and/or steering input to no threat. Mainly happens at highway speeds, but sometimes occurs just above 40 mph.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 208 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact rel... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
February 2024, I received the 23V-858 recall notice for the fuel pump module that may have an improperly molded impeller and can cause the fuel pump to become inoperable. On [XXX], my vehicle stalled on [XXX] in Atlanta, GA. My car was towed to Honda Mall of Georgia in Buford, GA on [XXX]. On [XXX], the technicians at Honda Mall of Georgia confirmed that it was indeed the fuel pump (that is under ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cruise control function failed, and the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
UNKNOWN My SUV started to shudder. I brought it to a mechanic, and he started that while preforming a transmission flush, a bunch of black gunk came out. He advised us that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. Ford needs to issue a recall on all 2019 Ford Edge’s. I’m worried it will blow up or cause an accident while I’m driving it.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
Paint on roof is peeling off near rear window.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
VOLVO DEALER DESCRIBE AS ISSUE: Motor mounts: Front lower engine mount collapsed, other engine mount not yet verified. Power Steering: Stiff and hard to turn wheels. Transmission: Transmission shift sometimes is not easy to move up to down.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
My vehicle started making a ticking noise and then after driving on the interstate it entered limp mode with the check engine, battery, steering wheel, and oil lights on. I have been up to date on all oil changes and the car is only at 95,000 miles. After taking it to a mechanic he said the issue it with the engine and it needs a full replacement. The car is available for inspection and the proble... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
My 2015 Jeep Compass will randomly stall while I am driving... randomly breaking while im driving. Then very frequently it will not let me drive past 20 miles per hour (sometimes slower than this). It randomly acts like this. It always feels like it does not want to accelerate... it will sometimes but most times doesn't. I have taken it to both a private service center and to the dealership multip... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2021
I keep getting a “service shifter” message and all gears light up red. This has now happened about 15 times. I asked a dealership about it, but they said they would have to correct all of the wiring. I saw that many other jeep cherokee owners also experience this same issue and it does not go away.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
We drove this vehicle to a family event in chicago. We pulled the vehicle out of the parking garage and pulled into a downtown street in front of a hotel to load the vehicle up. Once the family was loaded the vehicle up the car would not start it had 700 miles when it failed. we were stuck on a busy street trying to start the car. I called roadside assitance and someone came out with a jump p... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
The rear window on the Cascada is known to separate from the convertible top material, likely due to an insufficient amount of primer used during the assembly process, which creates stress points allowing the material to separate from the glass. Once this bond has started to fail, it is eventually going to lead to the glass completely falling off the car. It is likely that the glass separating cou... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
The rear window on the Cascada is known to separate from the convertible top material, likely due to an insufficient amount of primer used during the assembly process, which creates stress points allowing the material to separate from the glass. Once this bond has started to fail, it is eventually going to lead to the glass completely falling off the car. It is likely that the glass separating cou... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
During night rainstorm, front and rear wipers, turn signals and high beams all failed. This was the result of a design defect that allows water from panoramic moonroof to drain into the floor where it compromises electrical connections and modules. In addition to potentially catastrophic safety component (wipers, high beams and turn signals) failures, the water damage compromised the seat belts,... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
My Kia had be under an unresolved recall that can cause a fire, not only putting myself and my family, but other drivers at risk. I have a toddler who rides with me and would be extremely hard to get out of a car seat if the car caught on fire, as such I have reduced driving with them to ensure safety, but this is an issue that cannot continue and I should not have to put myself and others at risk... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
My Kia had be under an unresolved recall that can cause a fire, not only putting myself and my family, but other drivers at risk. I have a toddler who rides with me and would be extremely hard to get out of a car seat if the car caught on fire, as such I have reduced driving with them to ensure safety, but this is an issue that cannot continue and I should not have to put myself and others at risk... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Center COMAND screen malfunctions. No rear camera view when reversing when screen does not work. Dealer attempted a repair but issue remains. Parts ordered for replacement.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Center COMAND screen malfunctions. No rear camera view when reversing when screen does not work. Dealer attempted a repair but issue remains. Parts ordered for replacement.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The engine crankshaft failed and broke in half while driving. I was driving on the New Jersey turnpike on cruise control with a trailer and a mower and all of a sudden the motor is making [XXX] noises and I lose engine power completely. This is a huge defective part and one of the main components of a motor that should not fail and break in half like it did. It’s a major catastrophic failure tha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2024
I am writing to bring to your attention a potentially catastrophic accident involving our leased C40 vehicle that happened on [XXX], 3:30pm. (ID [XXX] ) On the above mentioned date, my husband, [XXX] , was parking the C40 in a school parking lot to pick up our grandchild. He experienced an alarming episode of unintended acceleration. Despite his efforts to control the vehicle, the car lurched ou... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 29, 2024
Unknown the check engine light comes on supposedly is the active shutter on the front is malfunctioning
Incident date: Jan 29, 2024
Unknown the check engine light comes on supposedly is the active shutter on the front is malfunctioning
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
entertainment system needs to be reset multiple times a day. bluetooth does not connect to the same cell phone i have been using and needs to be re-connected manually every time I start the car. stereo and gps are non-responsive and require restart to properly operate. Bluetooth needs to connect automatically to my phone.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
Actuator in Drivers door has failed. Unable to Lock or Unlock car door.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Yesterday, 3/22/2024, I was driving northbound on I-15, fat left lane, approx. 80 mph/posted highway speed. Suddenly lost steering control on my 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel truck. Front end/tires began vibrating, all steering control lost, truck veered to the right across 3 lanes of traffic and off into the dirt/sage brush to the right of the highway. It almost rolled over, but I was able ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The car has a factory fault with the Windshield Wiper or Turn Signal contact switch, which is causing the inability to use the left/right signal and the wipers. The entire part is factory faulty, rendering the vehicle unable to operate safely. This affects visibility during wet conditions because the wipers cannot be activated due to the malfunctioning switch, which can lead to serious accidents. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Hi, I had a 2016 XC90 which has serious safety problems. The sunroof has a factory defect, leaking water into the car and causing failures in electronic systems and airbags. Many other owners have sued Volvo and won their cases. Additionally, the issue has been certified by the court, and there are technical bulletins published by Volvo addressing the problem. Yes. The water leak can damage entire... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Hi, I had a 2016 XC90 which has serious safety problems. The sunroof has a factory defect, leaking water into the car and causing failures in electronic systems and airbags. Many other owners have sued Volvo and won their cases. Additionally, the issue has been certified by the court, and there are technical bulletins published by Volvo addressing the problem. Yes. The water leak can damage entire... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Hi, I had a 2016 XC90 which has serious safety problems. The sunroof has a factory defect, leaking water into the car and causing failures in electronic systems and airbags. Many other owners have sued Volvo and won their cases. Additionally, the issue has been certified by the court, and there are technical bulletins published by Volvo addressing the problem. Yes. The water leak can damage entire... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The engine is burning oil due to a factory design defect in the piston ring design, as verified by Volvo through a technical bulletin. In the bulletin, Volvo states that there is a free oil consumption test available for up to 100k miles. However, once I brought the car in for the test, they denied doing it for free and did not send any notice by mail. Burning oil can lead to a fire risk and loss... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
UNKNOWN! I do not have much car knowledge but I do know that the transmission has blown in my 2018 Chevy Cruze two times and the shifter made a clicking noise that was very alarming. I have a video but the option to upload a file is only for pictures, I think the video is very crucial to understanding what I mean by clicking noise. The noise was would come randomly about 4 months after having the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
UNKNOWN! I do not have much car knowledge but I do know that the transmission has blown in my 2018 Chevy Cruze two times and the shifter made a clicking noise that was very alarming. I have a video but the option to upload a file is only for pictures, I think the video is very crucial to understanding what I mean by clicking noise. The noise was would come randomly about 4 months after having the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
I was going 60 mph when the check engine light came on , the car started to jerk and reduce speed. I pulled onto the shoulder until the car stopped. I than proceeded to drive slowly and the turtle appeared on the dash. I drove about another mile until I reached my home doing 30 miles per hour or less.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Every time my wife gets into the front passenger seat the sensor in the seat doesn’t recognize her sitting down and doesn’t active the passenger side airbag also the climate control is inactive. Rivian claims that there is a seat weight limit but my wife weighs 145 lbs. this happens all the time until my wife moves around enough to activate it. Then sometimes it turns off in the middle of a dr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Every time my wife gets into the front passenger seat the sensor in the seat doesn’t recognize her sitting down and doesn’t active the passenger side airbag also the climate control is inactive. Rivian claims that there is a seat weight limit but my wife weighs 145 lbs. this happens all the time until my wife moves around enough to activate it. Then sometimes it turns off in the middle of a dr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
This truck has had ongoing issues with the braking system. From the point of purchase Ive noted and informed the dealer of a very soft brake pedal pressure, and its gotten to the point where the brakes have to be pumped to get enough braking power to stop the vehicle at lower speeds, at highway speeds the vehicle is not able to stop in an emergency braking situation without pumping the brake peda... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2005 Volvo S40. The contact stated the vehicle was difficult to start for several days. Eventually, the failure progressed and the vehicle was not able to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired by the contact, a previous Volvo technician. The contact stated the failure was due to the pump electrical module being located out of t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
2012 to 2014 honda crv's have a "blockage problem" on the driver's side of the heater core and the driver's side of the heater does not put out any heat. this is a safety issue as condensation builds up on driver's side of the windshield and snow/ice can build up on driver's side of the windshield due to no heat. honda has known of this problem (defect in heater driver side heater core) since at... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure); 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The torque converter is malfunctioning to where I have been unable to use my vehicle for almost 2 months. It is available for inspection, but is currently at a repair shop pending inspection to get an estimate on costs to fix the issue (if it is something that can be fixed). My safety along with my family's safety were put at risk due to the inability for the vehicle to pick up speed while drivi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
I'm filing this complaint about a Safety Recall letter, dated November 14, 2023, that I received from the KIA America Corporate Headquarters concerning a (NHTSA Recall Number: 23V652) defect which can result in an engine compartment fire, increasing the risk of injury. I have reached out to my local Balise KIA dealer, on two separate occasions to be told my information is in their system and the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
We bought a 2022 Tesla Y performance in August 2023. Love the car but customer service in the service center is and has been beyond horrible and frustrating. We had a back seat (driver side) panel that was not snapped in properly. In November 2023 we took it to a service center so they could fix it. They said they needed to order the part and they would send someone to come to our house to fix i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
After two days of ownership and 148 miles, the car threw a check engine light w/ the following message: "SLOW DOWN. The vehicle will reduce speed. Propulsion system failure." followed by, "Propulsion system service required.". This consequently causes the car to go into 'limp mode' unexpectedly while driving, drastically reducing speed. We are then instructed to take it to a shop. [XXX] INFOR... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective cam phaser. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mile... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
A sensor in the ABS braking system went out. We attempted to get it fixed in September but were told the part was unavailable until February due to the fact that Ram was having to reengineer the part. We personally know 5 people who have had to replace this sensor. The service manager at the dealership told us that it was a very common problem. We have been driving for months with no ABS. Shouldn... Read more