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 25, 2022
The "brushed aluminum" interior panels are peeling. The metallic part has separated from the plastic in multiple area. This creates curled up (perpendicular to the original) pieces that are VERY sharp. I have no less than 10 cuts in the last year. The pieces are razor blade sharp. I don't allow my son to come to the front seats anymore when the car is parked.
1 injured
Incident date: May 7, 2022
The driver door won't lock. The latch on the door is not locking causing the driver door to remain open presenting a safety issue. If the door swings opened because it is not closed properly a accident could occur. Other vehicles in that are the same make, model, and year is under recall. The problem first occurred on Saturday, May 7, 2022. I was driving the vehicle and there was no warning that ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2022
The rear right passenger door is stuck in a locked state. It's not possible to open that door from the interior or the exterior. Locking and unlocking the doors does not solve the problem. Activating and deactivating the child lock system does not solve the problem either. Turning the engine on and off does not solve the problem. This is extremely unsafe in case of a collision where the passenger ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed, causing the vehicle to crash into a parked vehicle. The contact's wife did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Volvo S90. The contact stated that the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) had an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. The contact stated the "Volvo on Call Service Required" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the software installed in the Veh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
The air suspension dust covers on the rear air springs were originally installed from the factory using substandard plastic zip ties that are known to slip off. This is a known design flaw and is even documented by Volvo via technical journal and reported to the NHTSA as follows. NHTSA ID Number: 10158664 Manufacturer Communication Number: TJ30517.6.0-2019 All vehicles with this design flaw are ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2022
Manufacturers original windshield began leaking. On inspection windshield is not properly bonded or adhered to vehicle body and is able to be pushed off the body of the vehicle with little pressure from the inside of the cabin. Windshield repair company advised me to look for a recall notice they were so concerned. Didn't find one, so I wanted to report a safety concern
Incident date: Jul 17, 2021
The steering would randomly lock (or at least become very stiff). This occurred when the vehicle was warm and seemed to be mostly low speed sharper turns. Turning the wheel in the opposite direction freed it up. I replaced the steering rack to solve the problem.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo S60. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V766000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Incident date: May 3, 2022
In mid summer of 2021, my car overheated randomly without any warning driving down the interstate. I pulled off immediately and cut the car off but, it was already done. The radiator cracked as a result of the engine overheating. I had the car towed to my mechanic and he replaced the radiator. Since then I’ve been having a lot of check engine codes. It’s now May of 2022, my car is still using... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2022
In mid summer of 2021, my car overheated randomly without any warning driving down the interstate. I pulled off immediately and cut the car off but, it was already done. The radiator cracked as a result of the engine overheating. I had the car towed to my mechanic and he replaced the radiator. Since then I’ve been having a lot of check engine codes. It’s now May of 2022, my car is still using... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Volvo S80. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the seat belt assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V378000 (Seat Belts) however, th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2005 Volvo XC70. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V800000 (Air Bags) 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 not ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2022
I could smell gasoline coming from the vents for several days. I opened the hood and found gasoline leaking from one of the hoses near the engine. I had the car towed to the volvo dealership and they found a leaking low pressure fuel sensor and replaced it.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2022
Vehicle suddenly puts on the brakes, for no reason. Has happened 3 times, 2 in parking lots and 1 while driving down the road, suddenly swerved for no reason. Could cause injuries to driver and passenger.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
I noticed that driving with the top down (the car is a convertible) leads to premature and uneven tire wear. Subsequently the tires generate a lot of road noise and vibration, which is felt through the steering wheel. At 62000 miles I brought the situation to the attention of Volvo service and as a result they made some repairs / changes / updates to the rear suspension, (at my cost of over $2000)... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
I noticed that driving with the top down (the car is a convertible) leads to premature and uneven tire wear. Subsequently the tires generate a lot of road noise and vibration, which is felt through the steering wheel. At 62000 miles I brought the situation to the attention of Volvo service and as a result they made some repairs / changes / updates to the rear suspension, (at my cost of over $2000)... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
Within the last 6 months, (fall 2021 – spring 2022), one of the doors in my car has opened multiple times by itself, while I was driving the car. The door was closed properly when I started driving and I did not accidently pull on the door handle. This occurred so far only with the driver side door, while the top was down, (the car is a convertible), and while driving at highway or close to high... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
Rear Door lock failed with the first symptom of not being able to open the door. Once door was opened the door failed to close/latch. I think this is a safety concern because it would be impossible to get at the rear seat occupant in the event of a crash/heath issue. Then once the door finally opened it failed to latch which made it dangerous to drive the car at all because the door would fling... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The car started to move and accelerate with brake pressed. Accident prevention system did not activate itself. It did not display any warnings as it typically do during parking and being close to other cars. The car caused an accident with mild injuries to the driver of the other car, but could have hit a pedestrian or go to the intersection and involved with an accident with a car moving perpe... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The car started to move and accelerate with brake pressed. Accident prevention system did not activate itself. It did not display any warnings as it typically do during parking and being close to other cars. The car caused an accident with mild injuries to the driver of the other car, but could have hit a pedestrian or go to the intersection and involved with an accident with a car moving perpe... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The car started to move and accelerate with brake pressed. Accident prevention system did not activate itself. It did not display any warnings as it typically do during parking and being close to other cars. The car caused an accident with mild injuries to the driver of the other car, but could have hit a pedestrian or go to the intersection and involved with an accident with a car moving perpe... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
Gear shifts into neutral randomly at low speeds after coming to a complete stop when auto-off on the engine is activated. This happens on the road when pulling out of an intersection and the gear shifter needs to be physically moved into neutral then drive to engage the transmission again. My dealership was unable to reproduce the problem. I took a video of it when it occurred. There have be... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo V70. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V800000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
Volvo XC-60 computer system / software updates malfunctioned. The computer(s) remain in the vehicle (to my knowledge). Without warning, the vehicle failed to start, supposedly because of a software update that failed to work properly. The car routinely has software updates. This is the second time in the 6 months since we leased the car that it has had problems with a software update. We have a h... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 Volvo XC70. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V800000 (Air Bags) 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 not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
Original OEM front windshield developed a leak causing water to start dripping onto my hands on the steering wheel and on my lap during a rainstorm. seems to be numerous accounts of the front windshield bonding failing, definitely can be hazardous when driving in an already higher-risk situation rain causes. Not to mention the dripping runs down the inside of the windshield they don't make windshi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
The recall notice was issued on December 14, 2021. No area Volvo dealer has the parts to repair or replace the air bag. I have been told I am on a "waiting list" A reasonable amount of time has elapsed to repair my vehicle. Volvo Car, USA. Volvo Car, USA by email advised me to contact another local dealer in my area on March 12, 2022: "Thank you for your patience while your case was open. I apol... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
Front subframe has multiple holes due to excessive engine heat. The front subframe rots prematurely and causes paint to flake off so rust forms.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
While driving in hybrid mode while both the gasoline and electric motor are running or shifting back and forth, occasionally the electric motor will come on with a sharp, sometimes loud, metallic “bang”. The sound and feel appears to be coming from the rear. The last two times it happened, the car lunged forward on its own without additional pressure on the accelerator, and once over the past ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
While driving in hybrid mode while both the gasoline and electric motor are running or shifting back and forth, occasionally the electric motor will come on with a sharp, sometimes loud, metallic “bang”. The sound and feel appears to be coming from the rear. The last two times it happened, the car lunged forward on its own without additional pressure on the accelerator, and once over the past ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
While driving in hybrid mode while both the gasoline and electric motor are running or shifting back and forth, occasionally the electric motor will come on with a sharp, sometimes loud, metallic “bang”. The sound and feel appears to be coming from the rear. The last two times it happened, the car lunged forward on its own without additional pressure on the accelerator, and once over the past ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The vehicle pulls to the right consistently. Volvo San Diego has attempted to correct this on six different occasions, including sending it to an alignment specialist, and swapping wheels and tires. After this, they tried to explain to me that this was a “safety feature” that pulls the vehicle to the right, sometimes leaving the lane, so the vehicle would not go in to oncoming traffic on a two... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2002 Volvo XC70. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V800000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
This is subject to a recall R10136 NHTSA Recall 21v-800 We have set appointments twice to have this done only to be told that the parts are not available and we would be contacted when they are. The local dealer is Maple Hill in Kalamazoo. I started a chat with Volvo and the suggestion was to try another dealer. If the part is not available I fail to see how that will help.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The entire vehicle shakes and vibrates violently at 50 mph and over.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The entire vehicle shakes and vibrates violently at 50 mph and over.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The entire vehicle shakes and vibrates violently at 50 mph and over.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2022
Multiple occurrences: The screen goes blank in front of the driver including the main center on the dash. The car simply stops working and slows down to a crawl showing a turtle symbol on the dash. To reset, the vehicle has to be completely shut down and restarted. The ventilation system stops working and required a reset. The Google operating system which controls everything in the vehicle is a f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that material used to manufacture the rear lift gate parcel shelf in the vehicle would fracture when touched, causing small fiberglass shards to become stuck in the skin. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were both notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 3... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Original front windshield separating from frame of car. Leaking water during rain / melting snow. In cold weather forms ICE/FROST on INTERIOR posing visibility hazard! Autobody worker showed me how the windshield MOVED when he pushed on it with nothing more than his hand - warned me this is also a structural risk in case of crash. He stated he has personally seen hundreds of these on same model ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2022
2007 VOLVO XC-70. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 21V-800. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE NO VOLVO DEALERSHIPS WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS SENT TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP.
Incident date: Mar 28, 2022
2002 VOLVO S60. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 21V-766. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE NO VOLVO DEALERSHIPS WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS SENT TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2019
The exhaust for the car is routed within inches of the subframe which does not have a heat shield. The paint has since deteriorated and large rust holes have formed.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
Our 2012 Volvo XC60 has a problem with the seal along the top of the windshield, which allows water into the interior of the car. It can end up dripping onto my lap while driving, which is distracting and a potential safety issue, and it also can obstruct visibility as water runs down the inside of the glass.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Volvo XC60. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled in the middle of the road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and proceeded to his destination. The failure recurred several times. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Well I was at a red light waiting for the light to train green when I stepped on the Excelerator pedal I heard something snapped and the car would not move anymore I try to switch gears and the car would not move at all it would just accelerate the engine will sound like Like if I had the car on Neutral. In any gear I try to shift there was no warning in the vehicle no light turned on the only lig... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Well I was at a red light waiting for the light to train green when I stepped on the Excelerator pedal I heard something snapped and the car would not move anymore I try to switch gears and the car would not move at all it would just accelerate the engine will sound like Like if I had the car on Neutral. In any gear I try to shift there was no warning in the vehicle no light turned on the only lig... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Well I was at a red light waiting for the light to train green when I stepped on the Excelerator pedal I heard something snapped and the car would not move anymore I try to switch gears and the car would not move at all it would just accelerate the engine will sound like Like if I had the car on Neutral. In any gear I try to shift there was no warning in the vehicle no light turned on the only lig... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
Windshield seal developed leak. Water go into hvac shorting out system. No defrost, sever visibility and safety issue. Have seen numerous other volvo owners with similar windshield gasket seal leaks. Car is useless as visibility issue persists