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: Jan 8, 2024
The battery does not charge. Warning lights activated to check EV system. This first occurred about two months ago. Dash lights spontaneously resolved, but MIL light has remained on in Nissan App since that time. Dealership service initially said to return with vehicle when dash light and message reappeared. Potential garage/house or parking lot fire as there exist reports of 2026 LEAFs spontane... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
The battery does not charge. Warning lights activated to check EV system. This first occurred about two months ago. Dash lights spontaneously resolved, but MIL light has remained on in Nissan App since that time. Dealership service initially said to return with vehicle when dash light and message reappeared. Potential garage/house or parking lot fire as there exist reports of 2026 LEAFs spontane... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
My 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid sunroof shattered spontaneously while driving - no impact, no prior damage. I was driving at 20-25 mph on a feeder way, approaching a signal
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 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 local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
We have had multiple incidents when the car is at a stop light with the idle stop not active, the vehicle engine will just die. The light turns green and the vehicle is not running, it will take multiple times pushing the start button for it to start back up. This has resulted in multiple almost rear end incidents due to other drivers assuming we would go when light turned green. More recently ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon parking and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact restarted the vehicle and was able to successfully park and turn off the vehicle after several attempts. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently failed to shift as intended. Additionally, the A/C sy... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The vehicle’s instrument cluster appears to be a non-original unit that may not be correct for the model year. The cluster is responsible for displaying the odometer and communicating with other vehicle systems. After purchase, I observed that diagnostic scan tools could not consistently access or communicate with multiple modules, and an experienced mechanic indicated the instrument cluster may... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
Vehicle shut off while driving. Luckily we were in right lane and we just drifted into breakdown lane with no power steering or power braking. These cars are unsafe 2500-4000 lb missiles going down the roadway and the government is continuing to allow them on the roadway with serious life jeopardizing known defects. The dealers point at Jeep, Jeep points to dealers, both point to Stelantis and it... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
Transmission is going down in gears at high speeds and a wrench is showing up
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
Transmission is going down in gears at high speeds and a wrench is showing up
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Melting Dash, sticky to touch
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Iwe were on freeway 70 mph and then the motor lost power with a a semi behind us our motor went to 20mph this suv is dangerous unfixable and I should get a new car and money back this car has almost gotten us killed 4 times now,I've given Ford 3 different chances to fix it,they can't they are putting on the same parts our son is so scared he won't get in the car at all,we have made Ford aware of ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The vehicle skips a beat when shifting and it jumps from 10-8 gear for no reason causing the vehicle to lag or shift rough and break
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
When driving the ac will turn down by itself and when coming to a complete stop the car will put itself in park and the engine will shut off completely. The brake light and engine and battery light will come and the car will restart itself and stay in park or I will sometimes have to restart the car myself. The brake light started to flash on 4/16/2026. I purchased the car on 12/18/2025 to finance... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
adaptive cruise control warning lites. In the beginning it started sending warnings after it was on for a while. Now the warning is when I start the car. this has been fixed once under warranty but it is no longer working again. the warning lites for the aeb system is also on. Also I have pearl white sorento and the paint is peeling off the hood.
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
adaptive cruise control warning lites. In the beginning it started sending warnings after it was on for a while. Now the warning is when I start the car. this has been fixed once under warranty but it is no longer working again. the warning lites for the aeb system is also on. Also I have pearl white sorento and the paint is peeling off the hood.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Truck has stopped completely including brakes and truck shutting completely off three times, causing almost collisions three times now. This is an extreme safety risk, this vehicle was just purchased from dealer three month ago and all maintenance and recalls thus far have been dealt with
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was flashing. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was engine coolant inside the cylinders. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Trailer Brake Control Module (TRM) Software update for Recall Notice 26C10 failed and caused module to fail. Replacement part attempt #2 also failed. Vehicle has been with dealership service department with no solution for 20 days. Vehicle is currently still at dealership service center. Vin: [XXX] 2026 Ford F250 3,878 miles Autonation Ford Margate [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE F... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V668000 (Seats); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Car is out of alignment resolutions in the rear passenger tire to wear down at an abnormal rate. Had the vehicle inspected by a local mechanic and two different dealerships. All three inspections came back with the same answer. The camber and the toe for the right rear tire can not be set to a center good alignment. Leaving it in the red zone that will result in excessive Tire wear, handling and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Car is out of alignment resolutions in the rear passenger tire to wear down at an abnormal rate. Had the vehicle inspected by a local mechanic and two different dealerships. All three inspections came back with the same answer. The camber and the toe for the right rear tire can not be set to a center good alignment. Leaving it in the red zone that will result in excessive Tire wear, handling and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
My [XXX] old was sitting in the middle right captain chair in her carseat. My [XXX] daughter was in the third row. My [XXX] daughter accidentally hit the power seat tilt button making the seat my [XXX] old was sitting in push up against the back of the front right passenger seat, crushing my [XXX] olds feet, where she suffered a broken foot where the toes meet the rest of the foot. We had t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 - 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and then accelerated to the desired cruise control setting. The failure had occurred several times. Approximately 2 weeks later, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the hazard lights were activated. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
Engine Shutoff/Idle Stop Failure: The vehicle fails to restart after the automatic idle stop engages in traffic, requiring a manual restart. Electrical System Malfunctions: car dying at stoplights, loss of power, and, in some cases had to restart in "limp mode" where the vehicle is restricted to 1st gear,not very safe on major highways. Reported this to Honda during service on 3-16-26, they didn... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
Engine Shutoff/Idle Stop Failure: The vehicle fails to restart after the automatic idle stop engages in traffic, requiring a manual restart. Electrical System Malfunctions: car dying at stoplights, loss of power, and, in some cases had to restart in "limp mode" where the vehicle is restricted to 1st gear,not very safe on major highways. Reported this to Honda during service on 3-16-26, they didn... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the iss... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing intermittent steering “sticking”, most noticeable during normal highway driving and minor steering corrections. The steering wheel does not always return smoothly and instead feels resistant before releasing. This condition is unexpected, repeatable, and presents a safety risk, particularly during normal lane-keeping. Especially happens during left turns or keeping ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2023
This make/model has a known ICCU issue. Ours went out just after warranty expired and the cost is $4,000. The EU and some Asian countries have extended the warranty of this fault due to how prevalent it is.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
Front camera stopped working at 65 000 miles. Seems to be a faulty part as many Hondas and Acuras have the same problem and the dealer wants over $2000 to replace a $700 part that sounds like less than 45 minutes to replace.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Power Steering will stop working at different times
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
My 2022 Nissan Pathfinder was purchased new and now has 27150 miles. On April 9 2026, I was having my summer tires installed and was told by the tire shop that the rear brakes were worn out and needed replacement. I contacted the Nissan dealership who quoted a cost of $570 for brake replacement. There was no warning lamps or other symptoms but there is only 3mm of brake pad left. Per the dealers... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
While driving my vehicle, I approached a four‑way stop and began crossing a four‑lane road. The road consisted of two lanes traveling in one direction, a median, and two lanes traveling in the opposite direction. As I proceeded through the intersection and passed the median on my left, the vehicle suddenly lurched and made a noise. The sensation was similar to abruptly hitting the brakes, but ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
It almost drove into a semi truck with trailer making a turn. It then stopped despite multiple cars behind it and obviously having a green light. It was also near an intersection and if things were busy this might have caused an accident. It was the smart and calm defensive driving of multiple people and the truck driver that prevented an accident. It shouldn’t have to require that and my city... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range Complaint: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a vehicle sold by Tim Dahle Nissan Murray in Murray, Utah. Approximately three weeks ago, I purchased a 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range from this dealership. After purchase, I discovered that the rear seat belts were not functioning. I have evidence indicating that the dealership was aware of this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
I leased this vehicle in Oct2019 and then brought this vehicle and till date did 44710 miles and on 2/25 we had multiple warnings on the dashboard regarding lane assist failure, adaptive cruise control, break system failure, forward collision failure and many more warnings, we took it to Honda Dealer to investigate and they said that he don’t Monocular camera has to be replaced with a estimate... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Vehicle exhibits delayed deceleration after releasing accelerator. Engine RPM remains elevated for several seconds, causing the vehicle to continue applying power unexpectedly. Issue began after recent repair and was not present before. Condition is intermittent but reproducible and affects drivability.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Vehicle exhibits delayed deceleration after releasing accelerator. Engine RPM remains elevated for several seconds, causing the vehicle to continue applying power unexpectedly. Issue began after recent repair and was not present before. Condition is intermittent but reproducible and affects drivability.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Vehicle exhibits delayed deceleration after releasing accelerator. Engine RPM remains elevated for several seconds, causing the vehicle to continue applying power unexpectedly. Issue began after recent repair and was not present before. Condition is intermittent but reproducible and affects drivability.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Car stopped running during turn. Then started creeping along ,then after a bit ,started working normally. Happened a few times after. Then later car wouldn’t start in garage, had to get jumpstart. Took to Lexus dealer and found out the 12 volt battery was shot.they replaced it. Very frightening experience. Could have had an accident.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
While traveling 350 miles from my home with my family of five, the vehicle experienced a sudden 'Loss of Motive Power' event. The dashboard displayed the message: 'Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon.' I lost the ability to accelerate and had to navigate to the shoulder in high-speed traffic. The vehicle is currently inoperable and the 12V battery has since died because the Power Inverter Mod... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Rear brake automatic parking brake motor locked rear wheels. Dealership diagnosed and repaired at my cost. Service parking brake light illuminated and rear brakes locked not allowing vehicle to be moved. After a few restarts brakes released.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
While driving at approximately 45 mph, the regenerative braking feature of the vehicle suddenly failed, and also generated a master caution light on the dashboard display. This is the second time this has happened while driving and resulted in a sudden, alarming change in vehicle dynamics. Regenerative braking is the normal operation regime of the vehicle, with the traditional mechanical-hydraul... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I was driving down Highway 16 in Texas between Fredericksburg and Kerrville when I heard a very loud noise and the panoramic window on my vehicle exploded. There were not any objects that came in contact with the window to cause it to break. Fortunately, the sunroof was closed and the inside cover was in the closed position so that glass did not cover me or the interior of the vehicle. This was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2026
nStar remote diagnostic system returned five false-negative results across two confirmed mechanical failures. January 2, 2026: two diagnostics at 5:50 PM and 5:53 PM returned "No Error Code Found" while the transmission was actively failing. At 8:39 PM, the system identified P0700 and P2714 (Transmission System Failure, "Service within 1 day"). March 14, 2026: two diagnostics at 11:14 AM and 11:17... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
I experienced a false emergency braking event twice at the same area near my home. The vehicle falsely identified a stopped car ahead of me and slammed on the brakes, with a loud beeping noise and flashing lights. Fortunately, there was no one behind me, or they would have probably collided with my vehicle. The same series of events happened a second time at the same place. I was on [XXX] hea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Truck Issue Description (2021 Ford Ranger – ~93k miles): Truck makes a whining / humming noise with a slight rattling vibration. The noise occurs while accelerating in gears 1–5. The pitch stays mostly the same but gets louder under throttle. The noise goes away when I let off the gas. No noise when revving the engine in park/neutral. No loss of power and the transmission shifts normally. Gea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling and ticking sound coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; how... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an exhaust system malfunction warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was engine oil on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and during an oil leak inspection, the dealer found a fuel leak. The dealer confirmed that fuel was leaking from the vehicle and NHTSA C... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake independently activated, and the air bag warning light illuminated. In addition, while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the key failed to function as intended. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to st... Read more