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 1,744 complaints for WINNEBAGO
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The transmission failed. It is available for inspection. Should the transmission have completely failed on the road, it could have lead to an accident. Per the dealership diagnostic: replace transmission and torque converter assembly with applicable seals due to internal transmission failure. It has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning lights. This is a widespread problem in 2017-... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Alfa Romeo. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V586000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 ha... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The vehicle involved is a 2017 Dodge Durango. The primary systems malfunctioning include the engine cooling system, braking system, and electrical system. The engine repeatedly overheats while driving and has produced smoke from under the hood, creating a risk of breakdown or fire. The braking system is unreliable, with the brake pedal going down too far and not providing proper stopping power, i... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The head lights are too small and too dim to drive at night. I completely ran off the road on one occasion and never drove at night again. This is a serious problem at least with my motorhome since new.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Dashboard display is de laminating. Freighter says it is not covered because warranty has expired. It is only 5 years old. Others have had the same problem.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Dashboard display is de laminating. Freighter says it is not covered because warranty has expired. It is only 5 years old. Others have had the same problem.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Dashboard display is de laminating. Freighter says it is not covered because warranty has expired. It is only 5 years old. Others have had the same problem.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Beginning in October 2025, the Kwikee electric retractable side steps on my Winnebago Ekko began deploying spontaneously while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds. The steps are designed to retract automatically upon the vehicle being placed in gear and to deploy only when the vehicle side access door is opened via magnetic reed switch. The failure mode observed is the inverse of intend... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Beginning in October 2025, the Kwikee electric retractable side steps on my Winnebago Ekko began deploying spontaneously while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds. The steps are designed to retract automatically upon the vehicle being placed in gear and to deploy only when the vehicle side access door is opened via magnetic reed switch. The failure mode observed is the inverse of intend... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Beginning in October 2025, the Kwikee electric retractable side steps on my Winnebago Ekko began deploying spontaneously while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds. The steps are designed to retract automatically upon the vehicle being placed in gear and to deploy only when the vehicle side access door is opened via magnetic reed switch. The failure mode observed is the inverse of intend... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Generator started on its own sometime yesterday evening. The motor home was plugged into 30amp outlet and on shore power. Based on generator hours compared to an inspection I made last week it ran for approximately 15 hours before detection. (we had t-storms all yesterday and I never went outside). I tried to shut off via the touch screen controller inside the motor home and it was frozen and not ... Read more
WINNEBAGO
ADVENTURER
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 4, 2026
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The latch and hinge for the engine inspection door on the front of the vehicle fell off. The assembly was glued on the body and the glue/adhesive failed and the assembly fell off and lost. This has been reports before on similar Winnebago units and it certainly represents a safety issue.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owned a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact then heard a hose burst, followed by white steam emitting from the engine. The contact then heard a second burst, and upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered a fire in the engine compartment. The contact ca... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
My passenger door latch pops open nearly every time I drive on the highway. The latches were previously the subject of Safety Recall 16S30. I had my vehicle inspected by a Ford Dealership. No repairs or work was deemed necessary at that time. In the years since, my door now comes unlatched. Infrequently at first and now with very alarming frequency. Safety Recall 20S30 was issued specifically to a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 1... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 1... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 135,902. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, it was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 224,283. The information was from a Carfax Report.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Winnebago Vista. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V826000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure); however, when the local dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the hood latch... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
The digital dash instrument panel screen is delaminating.
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
February 2025, just outside the warranty period, the hood latch had become disconnected/broken under the hood. There is a point where the two piece cable is joined under the hood and the cable breaks at this point. There is an obvious defect in the hood latch system and puts drivers at risk as the hood cannot be opened if needed possibly stranding a driver on the road with a non-functioning vehi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V614000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the driver’s side front seat belt had detached from the frame. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair would be available in June 2026. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2025
Summary of the Safety Defect The passenger-side window of my 2024 Winnebago Era 70X fell out of the vehicle. The window detached from the frame and separated from the RV while the vehicle was stationary. This failure represents a serious safety hazard, as the window could have fallen out while driving, potentially causing injury to occupants, other motorists, or pedestrians. Winnebago has acknowl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2024
Our 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 suddenly lost propulsion after briefly showing a warning that the 12V battery was malfunctioning. Fortunately, this happened close to our home on a road with little traffic. We could make it home at very slow speed (15mph) and the car completely shut off on our driveway and became unresponsive. The vehicle was towed to our Hyundai dealer by Hyundai roadside assistance se... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2004 Winnebago Itasca RV. The contact stated that there was an abnormal propane odor coming from the RV. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V114000 (Equipment). The local dealer was not contacted. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a crack in the propane tank at the weld joints.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2020
Vehicle: 2022 Kia Sorento EX VIN: [XXX] Date Defects Discovered:[XXX} A Kia dealership confirmed multiple instances of airbag tampering in this vehicle: • Driver knee airbag missing • Driver A‑pillar airbag missing • Wiring harnesses cut • Electrical resistors spliced into the circuits to bypass SRS fault detection • Technician warned there may be additional missing airb... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
I was driving in full self driving mode on my Tesla model Y. The car stopped at the left turn stoplight as it does normally. And then while the light was still red and the cross traffic was green (traffic flowing), the Tesla released the brake, accelerating into the intersection. I stomped on the brake and kept the car from fully entering the intersection, then continue home without using Full Sel... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
When braking since these lights are on it will cause issue with the brakes themselves as if they don’t want to brake fully. Now I’m a 32 year old man and am aware of making sure your brakes are good and fully functioning. I’ve noticed also the steering when slowing down too from this. Nothing underneath the vehicle is an issue for steering. All steering components are fully functioning. I’... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
The second alternator, Balmer, used to charge the lithium batteries overheated and failed. It is located under the hood near the engine. It made a whining sound and failed to charge. I took it to Camping World in Marysville and they said the sound was “normal” and preformed the deregulation . A few months later, I brought it back and after insisting on inspection and calling Winnebago, they sa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
The second alternator, Balmer, used to charge the lithium batteries overheated and failed. It is located under the hood near the engine. It made a whining sound and failed to charge. I took it to Camping World in Marysville and they said the sound was “normal” and preformed the deregulation . A few months later, I brought it back and after insisting on inspection and calling Winnebago, they sa... Read more
WINNEBAGO
ADVENTURER
(2016) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 22, 2025
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
When the gear shift is in the park position, the system does not recognize it so the car doesn’t properly shut down; on occasion draining the battery. The shift to park problem has been present for 4 years. It has not drained the battery until this month.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
Transmission shifting issues. Will shift out of gear or delay shifting several seconds and sometimes limited power. The 1080r 10 speed transmission has a know design flaw that was finally fixed in 2023. My 2019 is now having the issue and is $8000 to fix for a bushing that moves out of place
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
-The radiator hose malfunctioned and began to leak fluids onto my garage floor for 7 straight days. -My safety as well as others on the road were at risk because at anytime my vehicle could have lost all coolant and overheated. -The problem was confirmed by the service team at my dealership when I dropped it off for diagnosis. -There was absolutely no warning lamps or messages prior to failur... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
WINNEBAGO TRAVATO 59GL CAREFREE AWNING WAS REPAIRED BUT IS STILL DEPLOYING WHEN DRIVING. I HAVE PULLED THE AWNING FUSE TO KEEP IT FROM DEPLOYING WHILE DRIVING . I WOULD LIKE TO BEABLE TO USE IT. CAN THIS ITEM BE LOOKED AT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS PROPERLY REPAIRD AND TO CHECK IF ANYTHING HAVE BEEN DAMAGED? THE ANWING ONLY WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IVE BEEN ON THE ROAD BECASUE I LIVE IN... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The 2024 Winnebago Ekko Ford Transit base includes standard a second alternator in the engine bay manufactured by Balmer and installed by Winnebago to charge the house batteries, in this case two 320amp batteries manufactured by Lithionics. A service recall was completed by Winnebago Authorized Dealer in 6/2025 to reduce the charge capacity based on prior failures and fires in the alternator. O... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The 2024 Winnebago Ekko Ford Transit base includes standard a second alternator in the engine bay manufactured by Balmer and installed by Winnebago to charge the house batteries, in this case two 320amp batteries manufactured by Lithionics. A service recall was completed by Winnebago Authorized Dealer in 6/2025 to reduce the charge capacity based on prior failures and fires in the alternator. O... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
My 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is under two active safety recalls: Recall 68C (NHTSA 25V-741) involving high voltage battery fire risk, and Recall 78C (NHTSA 25V766) unexpected and unrecoverable loss of propulsion which is also currently unresolved. Recall 68C instructs owners NOT to recharge the vehicle and to park it away from structures due to potential fire. No remedy exists for either recall. Th... Read more
WINNEBAGO
ADVENTURER
(2022) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 1, 2025
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The sunroof sunshade snapped a clip off and now hangs down blocking the rear view. It is impossible to see out the back window. I have read on multiple sites that this is happening to many of these SUVs and it's an extremely expensive and difficult fix. It's very dangerous and I won't even let my girlfriend drive it anymore.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera image was displayed upside down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V951000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
I was making a road trip in my 2024 F150 Lightning Lariat. I pulled up to a Tesla supercharger. I turned the car off and attempted to plug in but the cable was about three inches too short. So I got back in the truck, turned it back on and put it in gear for the last three inches of travel. The truck accelerated dramatically. It clipped two charging stations, hopped a curb and went into a field, h... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
A panel on the roof of the vehicle detached while driving at highway speed (60MPH). The panel is held on by bolts and affixed to the roof with glue. The glue failed and the bolts do not attach directly to the roof. The panel is fairly heavy and large and would present a major hazard to a following vehicle. This has been confirmed by the dealer and the detached panel is available for inspection. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
KIA has hasd a recall since July of 2025 and the part to fix the back window trim. The part was supposed to be ready to ne installed by Oct of 2025. It is Nov 5 2025 and the part is still unavailable. KIA is in no hurry or rush to get this recalled.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2018
The contact owns a 2018 Winnebago Forza RV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the cargo door and the door enclosing the propane tank on the driver's side unexpectedly opened. The contact stated that the failures had occurred several times. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who was unable to repair the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2018
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Video camera in the back is almost unusable at times, get loss of vision completely or it's flipped image and distorted. Don't know if this counts but I had a issue where key batteries where fine and the car did not want to unlock or start. Also last winter the door would not unlock and if forced would not close.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
There is a Balmar alternator installed on my Winnebago EKKOs that failed by smoking and burning. Winnebago replaced it with the same piece of equipment and it too has failed. They will again replace with another Balmar putting me at risk of fire and failure. This is totally unacceptable! Please help all us EKKO owners force Winnebago to solve this with a safe solution. Some owners have had 6 Balma... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
My backup camera turns off when I am backing up. I can no longer see behind my vehicle and I do not get any warnings that a car is approaching from either side of my vehicle. On a more minor note the sun roof opened on its own while I was driving on a highway during a rain storm
Incident date: Oct 11, 2025
The problem occurs in my 2019 Jeep Wrangler, suddenly, typically after hitting a small bump or uneven section of pavement at around 60–70 mph. The entire front end begins to shake violently, and the steering wheel jerks rapidly back and forth, making it extremely difficult to maintain control of the vehicle. The only way to stop the shaking is to brake hard and slow down below 50 mph, which crea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
October 10, 2025. The vehicle is a 2022 Winnebago EKKO RV on a 2021 Ford Transit with 49,000 miles. The incident occurred after driving the vehicle for about 5 minutes with outside temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and noticed an unusual high pitch whine. When I opened the hood the Balmar MC-618 Alternator unit was extremely hot, smoking, and had a strong burning smell. Since the EKKO mode... Read more