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: Jan 2, 2023
The car starting leaking water into the rear view mirror in June. This wouldn’t be much of an issue, but the cars computer system for drive assist is located in this area and has caused the car to malfunction in all areas. This XC90 pilot assist is now malfunctioning causing a huge safety issue. This is apparently a known problem with their cars with the panoramic sunroof, but is now a safety ha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The car starting leaking water into the rear view mirror in June. This wouldn’t be much of an issue, but the cars computer system for drive assist is located in this area and has caused the car to malfunction in all areas. This XC90 pilot assist is now malfunctioning causing a huge safety issue. This is apparently a known problem with their cars with the panoramic sunroof, but is now a safety ha... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2022
My car had a sudden, catastrophic leak of coolant from a premature failure of a hose on a 5 year old car with 65000 miles. We were driving through mountains and there was no safe shoulder to pull over. I drove 1.5 miles to a service center. I bought the car new and all service work was done at Volvo dealers and all regular maintenance was performed. There were no leaks of coolant prior to th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2022
Both of the key fobs I have are broken in that the key won't lock straight out or stay folded into the fob. The weight of the plastic fob alone frequently causes the key to twist backwards if the road is bumpy or uneven, which kills the engine and makes it extremely difficult to steer to safety without power steering. The first time this happened to me I was traveling at 55 mph on a crowded highwa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The screen does not come on, so no heat, no safety stuff, no reverse camera and no sensors. All the above ADAS features do not work either. This is definitely a safety hazard, which I think traces back to the vehicle operating system. Details reported to Volvo in this tweet--> https://twitter.com/ameyaroskar/status/1608642311923339266?t=CUl77cpdg6qWIP8AJqetyQ&s=19
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The screen does not come on, so no heat, no safety stuff, no reverse camera and no sensors. All the above ADAS features do not work either. This is definitely a safety hazard, which I think traces back to the vehicle operating system. Details reported to Volvo in this tweet--> https://twitter.com/ameyaroskar/status/1608642311923339266?t=CUl77cpdg6qWIP8AJqetyQ&s=19
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The screen does not come on, so no heat, no safety stuff, no reverse camera and no sensors. All the above ADAS features do not work either. This is definitely a safety hazard, which I think traces back to the vehicle operating system. Details reported to Volvo in this tweet--> https://twitter.com/ameyaroskar/status/1608642311923339266?t=CUl77cpdg6qWIP8AJqetyQ&s=19
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
When backing the vehicle out of a parking space on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the vehicle lurched and moved very slowly. The center HUD displayed the message, "Slow Down. The Vehicle will reduce speed. Propulsion system failure." The vehicle was towed to the Volvo certified dealer in Roanoke VA. The technician "reset" the error code and released the vehicle to me. The dealership could not tel... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
When backing the vehicle out of a parking space on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the vehicle lurched and moved very slowly. The center HUD displayed the message, "Slow Down. The Vehicle will reduce speed. Propulsion system failure." The vehicle was towed to the Volvo certified dealer in Roanoke VA. The technician "reset" the error code and released the vehicle to me. The dealership could not tel... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
infotainment system quits working or will not boot up
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
I have recently experienced several episodes of the vehicle suddenly going into "limp home" mode while either accelerating onto or driving along at highway speed, causing a sudden loss of drive-ability and endangering me and my vehicle as well as those other passengers and vehicles traveling near me. I have taken it to the Volvo Dealer in Norristown , PA where I purchased the vehicle new less-than... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
I have recently experienced several episodes of the vehicle suddenly going into "limp home" mode while either accelerating onto or driving along at highway speed, causing a sudden loss of drive-ability and endangering me and my vehicle as well as those other passengers and vehicles traveling near me. I have taken it to the Volvo Dealer in Norristown , PA where I purchased the vehicle new less-than... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that she became aware the engine oil level was lower than needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
On December 24, I was about a quarter mile into my drive when the car shut off. The dashboard went blank and I had to coast to a stop. I was unable to restart or use any parts of my car except for the emergency blinker. Nothing alerted me on my dashboard prior to this incident. I could not use the SOS alert button in the car. I had a half tank of gas. I had to wait in the 9 degreeF cold for 2 ho... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
On December 24, I was about a quarter mile into my drive when the car shut off. The dashboard went blank and I had to coast to a stop. I was unable to restart or use any parts of my car except for the emergency blinker. Nothing alerted me on my dashboard prior to this incident. I could not use the SOS alert button in the car. I had a half tank of gas. I had to wait in the 9 degreeF cold for 2 ho... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2022
Earlier today I submitted a complaint, NHTSA Tracking Number 11498747. Would it be possible to send this back to me as I would prefer to modify it? Please do not post it now. Thanks, Craig Wenger [email protected] 910-471-7653
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
When temperatures drop below freezing, the rear door latches will not latch closed. Our children have to hang onto the doors to keep them from swinging open on corners while they also try not to fall out of the vehicle. Dealer says this is a common problem on this model, and is known to Volvo. They’ve attempted to regrease, and advised that the technical service bulletin provided by Volvo doe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
The vehicle has approximately 16,000 miles on it. It began to shudder in the front end when the brakes were applied at any speed. I contacted the dealer, Parkway Volvo of Wilmington, NC concerning the problem and was told that the vehicle had just gone out of warranty. On December 16, 2022, I took the vehicle to Derhams Alignment and Auto Repair, Wilmington NC to have the problem diagnosed. They f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2022
The car's heater on 'pure' mode does not operate. I called the dealer and he said "oh yeah, this is a very widespread problem." My car travels in cold climates and is subject to moisture/condensation. No call from Volvo, no special notice, nothing...... just wait until you can't see out your windows and have to pull to the side of the road because they are too lazy to take care of this issue. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Engine oil consumption issue. Engine is consuming a quart of oil every 1,500 miles.
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
Our trucking business name is Fast Way Express LLC and this is a complaint against TEC Equipment Las Vegas (Volvo dealership) in regards to a new Volvo semi truck we purchased on 6/13/2022. After only 10,600 miles and 216 engine hours, all the electrical modules on the truck stopped working. I have pictures of all the warning or error messages on the dashboard. The truck has been in their repair s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving down a hill and depressing the brake pedal, water started leaking through the sunroof. The contact stated he noticed water in the trunk of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the seals of the sunroof and the sunroof motor to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
Excessive oil consumption. Piston ring failure. Cylinder 1 spark plug failure due to oil buildup.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
IF THE CONDITION OCCURS VEHICLE OWNERS MAY NOTICE FUEL SMELL AND/OR FUEL LEAK WHICH, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. This Recall Was Done for a 2004 Volvo xc90 . I am currently Experiencing the same problem with my 2007 volvo Xc90 AWD. Every time, I fill up to 1/2 a tank or full , I start to smell the fumes inside the vehicle . I took it to get inspected , and the m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2022
We were notified by email of a computer update to our 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge (it stated it would automatically download the update then ask us to initiate the installation). The next day I was charging the car. The car is programmed for 1 pedal driving. After disconnecting the charger, I got into the car, put my foot on the brake, and placed the car in reverse. When I released the brake, the car... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2022
The engines in these car are built with improper piston rings and the looses compression in the cylinders. This happens at 40k-140k. Volvo admitted to this issue but will not do anything about it.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Had a cracked windshield, Volvo replaced with OEM. Another pin head size rock chip resulted in another cracked windshield. Google search will reveal the Windshield on the XC40 Volvo crack with the lightest contact. The glass has a defect and the crack interferes with driver visibility and driver assist functions
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Had a cracked windshield, Volvo replaced with OEM. Another pin head size rock chip resulted in another cracked windshield. Google search will reveal the Windshield on the XC40 Volvo crack with the lightest contact. The glass has a defect and the crack interferes with driver visibility and driver assist functions
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Had a cracked windshield, Volvo replaced with OEM. Another pin head size rock chip resulted in another cracked windshield. Google search will reveal the Windshield on the XC40 Volvo crack with the lightest contact. The glass has a defect and the crack interferes with driver visibility and driver assist functions
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
We recently took our 2020 Volvo XC60 with approximately 20k miles into the dealership where it has received it's oil changes and had its service issues looked at since buying the vehicle new. During the inspection video, the technician indicated the rear brakes had approximately 10% life remaining while the front had approximately 90% life remaining in them. This seems extremely askew and is indic... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
Starting Sunday November 27 my car started dripping gasoline on the floor, on the driver side near the rear wheel. Immediately I took it to Volvo dealer Wynne in Hampton, VA. The service specialist told me there was not any existing recall for that issue and let me go. That night I put under the leak a flat pan. That night I collected one gallon in about 8 hours. I called Volvo cars USA [XXX] exp... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The headlights malfunctioned two weeks after I purchased the vehicle. The center control panel electronics that controls heating and cooling, the phone, etc failed suddenly and without warning while I was on the highway. There have been multiple problems with this vehicle since I purchased it on September 19. It has been in the shop for about 15 days. A propulsion system warning appeared without... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The headlights malfunctioned two weeks after I purchased the vehicle. The center control panel electronics that controls heating and cooling, the phone, etc failed suddenly and without warning while I was on the highway. There have been multiple problems with this vehicle since I purchased it on September 19. It has been in the shop for about 15 days. A propulsion system warning appeared without... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The headlights malfunctioned two weeks after I purchased the vehicle. The center control panel electronics that controls heating and cooling, the phone, etc failed suddenly and without warning while I was on the highway. There have been multiple problems with this vehicle since I purchased it on September 19. It has been in the shop for about 15 days. A propulsion system warning appeared without... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The GPS continues to stop working, it states it is "searching for GPS". It has been to the dealership three different times for this software malfunction with no resolution.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
The contact owns a Britax Safety Seat, Model Number: E1C387T, Model Type: One4life ClickTight, Manufacture Date: September 2020. The contact stated that while the safety seat was being utilized in a 2022 Volvo XC90, she noticed that the safety harness was loose and was not restraining her daughter properly. The contact stated that the safety harness continually loosened whenever pulled. The child... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2022
THE MAIN DRIVER INFORMATION DISPLAY WENT BLANK WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. IMPORTANT OPERATING INFORMATION SUCH VEHICLE SPEED, TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS, FUEL REMAINING ETC., WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE DRIVER. THE CENTER DISPLAY FOR THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS ALSO GONE BLANK TWICE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TAILGATE WILL OPEN ALL THE WAY AND A SPLIT-... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, an SRS service air bag message was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and was awaiting an appointment with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, an SRS service air bag message was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and was awaiting an appointment with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front air strut needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
My car developed a severe shake in the steering wheel and pulsing in the brake pedal while under braking. The problem has worsened to the point that braking at high speed creates a serious shaking. I took the car to the dealership and they diagnosed the problem as warped rotors. The car started this with less than 15000 miles on the car. The dealer contacted Volvo to fix under warranty due to the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
My car has a Google system which fails to operate correctly & needs many system reboots.I've presented the shut problem to the service dept, I'm told they don't know what to tell me because they can't recreate the problem or the car's system is like phones, it freezes at times & needs to be rebooted, Volvo is constantly doing softwhere updates.Nov 14 I was driving on the highway w/the heat & wipe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
My car has a Google system which fails to operate correctly & needs many system reboots.I've presented the shut problem to the service dept, I'm told they don't know what to tell me because they can't recreate the problem or the car's system is like phones, it freezes at times & needs to be rebooted, Volvo is constantly doing softwhere updates.Nov 14 I was driving on the highway w/the heat & wipe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
My car has a Google system which fails to operate correctly & needs many system reboots.I've presented the shut problem to the service dept, I'm told they don't know what to tell me because they can't recreate the problem or the car's system is like phones, it freezes at times & needs to be rebooted, Volvo is constantly doing softwhere updates.Nov 14 I was driving on the highway w/the heat & wipe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2000 Volvo S80. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle intermittently hesitated in responding while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated during the failure. The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V44... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The windscreen seal has failed. Water leaking into the overhead lighting fixture and main cabin. This will ruin the car, and shouldn't happen to any car. The windscreen, when properly attached to the body, contributes to the structural integrity and crashworthiness of the vehicle. If the screen is only partly bonded, any stress could detach it and the upper part of the body would suffer reduced st... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The windscreen seal has failed. Water leaking into the overhead lighting fixture and main cabin. This will ruin the car, and shouldn't happen to any car. The windscreen, when properly attached to the body, contributes to the structural integrity and crashworthiness of the vehicle. If the screen is only partly bonded, any stress could detach it and the upper part of the body would suffer reduced st... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
I brought a 2021 XC90 Volvo on 8/18/2022 with 12861 miles on it. The attached photo will show the current mile on the vehicle is 17421, so you can see I have only put 4560 miles on the vehicle. This vehicle was only brought 3 months ago. It's very concerning that I was driving down interstate 530 on Sunday 11/13/2022 and for the first time ever the low-pressure light comes on and then seconds late... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
After having my car for three weeks, the paint was permanently damaged by an inordinate amount of leaf prints and water stains. Even multiple rounds of polishing didn't fix the issue. Volvo claims this is not covered under warranty, as the damage occurred because of outside influences. I have a hard time believing they think this is an acceptable level of damage from a quite benign, normal level o... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
Have brought car twice for vibration and shutter when vehicle is driven on highway. The shutter is extreme and only stops when car comes to a dead stop at an intersection or toll. Increasing speed or lowering speed does not stop the extreme shutter felt in wheel and passenger compartment. Car has only 37,000 miles on odometer! This extreme vibration and shutter is intermittent and not all the tim... Read more