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
Page 143 of 44,303 (2,215,138 complaints)
Incident date: May 18, 2026
While driving the vehicle on a public roadway at approximately 70mph, the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic powertrain failure without timely warning. The check engine light illuminated, the physical engine oil pressure gauge dropped to absolute zero, and the dashboard immediately flashed a critical "Hybrid System Malfunction" warning. > This mechanical and electrical failure triggered an... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
While driving the vehicle on a public roadway at approximately 70mph, the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic powertrain failure without timely warning. The check engine light illuminated, the physical engine oil pressure gauge dropped to absolute zero, and the dashboard immediately flashed a critical "Hybrid System Malfunction" warning. > This mechanical and electrical failure triggered an... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle with the powertrain and clutch warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. Th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The glass piece that sits between the front windshield and the sunroof cracked from side to side of the car. When I called the dealership to get it repaired they said this has happened to a few models with this same type of glass between the windshield and the sunroof.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: ( ); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Newly purchased truck, less than 3 weeks old, with 987 miles. A few blocks from my home, the driver's side front control arm broke while going over a speed bump at approximately 4 miles per hour. The vehicle was towed to Walker Ford in Clearwater, Florida. Notes on the repair order stated that it looks like the control did not cure all the way, leading to the weakness. The vehicle was repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Vehicle had a transmission failure at ~49,500 miles. Vehicle currently at Cypress Coast Ford in Seaside, CA. Issues are directly related to FORD TSB 22-248.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
May 19, 2026
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado LD Crew. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle, the rear end locked up. Also, when accelerated, the vehicle jerked forward and stalled. When the vehicle is shutdown and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage. 64,900.
Incident date: May 6, 2026
After the car was.parked in sun for aome time during shopping at Costco, it did not start. We had to use remote starter which worked. However, upon doing some research I found that overheated starter is a known and recalled problem with 2021 X5 and remote start could have caused fire. Dealership also confirmed it to be the smae pronlem , but BMW has not listed this vin as recalled. I contacted... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Car recently started clunking when changing from P to D or R. Took to dealer who broke down the transmission only to be told the torque converter was faulty and there’s “excessive damage” meaning I need a new transmission.
Incident date: May 19, 2026
We have owned the car for nearly 2 years and the rear cross traffic alert has never worked, even when cars and pedestrians are walking behind the vehicle. BMW says nothing is wrong. Many other drivers report the exact same issue with their BMW.
Incident date: May 10, 2026
2013 Jeep Wrangler. ABS module internal failure code C2200. 3 lights are constantly lit on the dashboard. No ABS on this Jeep, making it unsafe in the rain and snow. No way to have this part repaired anymore, nor does the dealership offer it. Shameful and shocking that MOPAR isn't dealing with this problem. Many, many Jeep owners are dealing with this problem. When will we see a recall??
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The vehicle was driving down the highway at highway speed when it began to shut down. This put myself & other drivers at serious risk as I had to navigate several lanes of traffic with a dead vehicle. When I took it to the dealer, the dealer stated that the vehicle crankshaft position magnetic tone sensor had broken off and was no longer sending the tones to the crank shaft position sensor. T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I am experiencing a severe safety hazard with my 2018 F-150's 10R80 transmission. While accelerating, the transmission unexpectedly drops into neutral during the 2nd-to-3rd gear shift. The engine revs to the redline, then violently slams into gear, causing the truck to jerk forward unpredictably. This creates a terrifying, uncontrollable moment in traffic. A mechanic diagnosed the issue and stated... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
2017 Kia Soul, 1.6L Gamma GDI engine, ~82,000 miles. Vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption consistent with the known piston ring defect addressed in Kia TSB ENG222 (covering 2012–2019 Souls with Gamma/Nu engines) and consistent with the E2 Class Action Settlement that covered the same engine in 2012–2016 model years. The oil consumption has destroyed the catalytic converter, causing the e... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel exhibits a noticeable "sticky" sensation and momentary mechanical binding when making minor steering adjustments, specifically when turning between the 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock positions. This occurs with the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) completely turned off. The binding is a serious safety hazard because it requires a sudden increase in ... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 RAM 1500. The contact stated while the contact's husband was driving at 75 MPH, the engine seized. In addition, several warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was seized in the middle of a busy highway. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed wi... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system activates unexpectedly and dangerously. Incident 1 5/7/2026: While driving approximately 2 mph in a drive-thru and rounding a curve, the vehicle suddenly applied full braking without warning. The braking force was severe enough that I struck my face on the steering wheel and my child was thrown forward in a secured car seat. Incident 2 5/19/2026: While ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system activates unexpectedly and dangerously. Incident 1 5/7/2026: While driving approximately 2 mph in a drive-thru and rounding a curve, the vehicle suddenly applied full braking without warning. The braking force was severe enough that I struck my face on the steering wheel and my child was thrown forward in a secured car seat. Incident 2 5/19/2026: While ... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
When backing out of a parking spot of a store , I went to stop and pressing on the brakes nothing happened and I kept rolling backwards. I looked down to confirm I was pressing the brakes and my foot was on the brake pedal pressed firmly. I rolled to a stop put it in drive and checked the brakes and they worked like normal. I made an appointment at the dealership and had an appointment the next da... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The steering has become stiff; the steering wheel does not return to center after a turn without driver assistance.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
My son was driving the 2000 Toyota Tacoma across very smooth transition railroad tracks at about 25 mph and the right front ball joint failed, collapsing the suspension. He lost all control and the vehicle skidded to a stop. Had he been going any faster, the vehicle could have rolled over. I have reviewed the recalls for Toyota ball joints and found the there is a 50J recall for 2001-2005 Tacom... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted into neutral. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped in the middle of a busy road. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. In addition, the contact st... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I was trying to back up a few times and not being able to see some objects behind while looking at the rear view camera on my Hyundai Santa Fe 2024.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I was trying to back up a few times and not being able to see some objects behind while looking at the rear view camera on my Hyundai Santa Fe 2024.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I was trying to back up a few times and not being able to see some objects behind while looking at the rear view camera on my Hyundai Santa Fe 2024.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
While driving down the highway, the vehicle completely lost power and the driver was forced to wrestle the truck to the side of the road in traffic.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
May 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Gps module is non functioning after software update 3.8.11 Gps module consistently shows wrong location and speed in addition to constantly pinging the driver visually and audibly which distracts the driver and covers the main display with a message that it is unavailable. It also affects the semi autonomous driving function, making it randomly brake and behave erratically because it doesng kno... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
May 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Gps module is non functioning after software update 3.8.11 Gps module consistently shows wrong location and speed in addition to constantly pinging the driver visually and audibly which distracts the driver and covers the main display with a message that it is unavailable. It also affects the semi autonomous driving function, making it randomly brake and behave erratically because it doesng kno... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
May 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Gps module is non functioning after software update 3.8.11 Gps module consistently shows wrong location and speed in addition to constantly pinging the driver visually and audibly which distracts the driver and covers the main display with a message that it is unavailable. It also affects the semi autonomous driving function, making it randomly brake and behave erratically because it doesng kno... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
Front brake caliper became loose, moved away from the rotor, resulted in the caliper grinding against the inner wheel. Inspection by mechanic revealed missing caliper mounting bolts on both driver and passenger side of brakes. Front caliper mounting bolts were replaced with OEM-spec hardware, torqued to spec, with blue Loctite added to threads of fasteners. The mechanic noted many well-document... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F 150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, unexpectedly downshifted, the vehicle RPMs rise rapidly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a turbo issue. The vehicle was repaired; however, the issue persisted. The vehicle was then taken to an independent dealer where the issue was not able to be duplicate... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
Our Hyundai has a powertrain problem that is intermittent and random, and manifests itself in a couple of ways: 1) It drops out of gear while you are driving; there is no forward propulsion at all; the engine will rev when you press the gas, but no forward movement at all. You have to coast to a stop (or panic stop if the traffic allows), put it in reverse, drive backwards, then the transmission w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2025
Our Hyundai has a powertrain problem that is intermittent and random, and manifests itself in a couple of ways: 1) It drops out of gear while you are driving; there is no forward propulsion at all; the engine will rev when you press the gas, but no forward movement at all. You have to coast to a stop (or panic stop if the traffic allows), put it in reverse, drive backwards, then the transmission w... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026 approx 9:35am. I was in a flat parking area at a gas station waiting for a friend. There were 2 other cars parked near me. No one was in them. Neither were moving. I backed out of my space into a large, empty, open area to turn my car around to have a better view. Because the audi pre-sense chronically malfunctions, I always turn it off before I drive. But I left it on this t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026 approx 9:35am. I was in a flat parking area at a gas station waiting for a friend. There were 2 other cars parked near me. No one was in them. Neither were moving. I backed out of my space into a large, empty, open area to turn my car around to have a better view. Because the audi pre-sense chronically malfunctions, I always turn it off before I drive. But I left it on this t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026 approx 9:35am. I was in a flat parking area at a gas station waiting for a friend. There were 2 other cars parked near me. No one was in them. Neither were moving. I backed out of my space into a large, empty, open area to turn my car around to have a better view. Because the audi pre-sense chronically malfunctions, I always turn it off before I drive. But I left it on this t... Read more
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2023) — SUSPENSION
May 19, 2026
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal loud sound. The contact stated that the rear coil spring detached and fell off. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was entering the contact's residential driveway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
My 2022 GMC Yukon XL with the 6.2L L87 engine was previously subject to NHTSA Recall 25V-274 / GM Recall N252494000 for L87 engine loss of propulsion. The recall was closed by the dealer as “PicoScope Inspection — Engine Passed / Update Engine Oil Type,” with the oil/cap/filter remedy. The vehicle was later brought back to the dealer for engine noise/knocking, check-engine light, and engine... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
My 2022 GMC Yukon XL with the 6.2L L87 engine was previously subject to NHTSA Recall 25V-274 / GM Recall N252494000 for L87 engine loss of propulsion. The recall was closed by the dealer as “PicoScope Inspection — Engine Passed / Update Engine Oil Type,” with the oil/cap/filter remedy. The vehicle was later brought back to the dealer for engine noise/knocking, check-engine light, and engine... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
My 2022 GMC Yukon XL with the 6.2L L87 engine was previously subject to NHTSA Recall 25V-274 / GM Recall N252494000 for L87 engine loss of propulsion. The recall was closed by the dealer as “PicoScope Inspection — Engine Passed / Update Engine Oil Type,” with the oil/cap/filter remedy. The vehicle was later brought back to the dealer for engine noise/knocking, check-engine light, and engine... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
My 2022 Pacifica Hybrid has experienced a total loss of motor propulsion THREE times in the last 8 days at highway (or near-highway) speeds. The car issued a warning to "Stop Safely Vehicle will Shut Off Soon" and had a turtle light appear along with a check engine light and I experienced no power going to the wheels on the highway. This included TWO incidents after a recall repair that was comp... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
My 2022 Pacifica Hybrid has experienced a total loss of motor propulsion THREE times in the last 8 days at highway (or near-highway) speeds. The car issued a warning to "Stop Safely Vehicle will Shut Off Soon" and had a turtle light appear along with a check engine light and I experienced no power going to the wheels on the highway. This included TWO incidents after a recall repair that was comp... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2026) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
May 19, 2026
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Adaptive +predictive cruise control malfunction causing 1) sudden vehicle acceleration and 2) Cruise on but disengaged suddenly engaged and set a higher speed than originally set. Merged into light traffic on 4 lane interstate, no other vehicles within 200yds or so. Turned on, then set cruise control at 70mph, about 10 seconds later I felt the car surge, I looked down, saw the cruise indicator now... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
1. Component/System: Multipurpose Camera Unit (IDAS/ADAS system) — U3000-49 "Internal Electronic Failure" + cascading CAN communication faults. The vehicle and diagnostic data (May 15, 2026 scan) are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: Warning lights for LKAS (Lane Keeping) and ACC (Adaptive Cruise) disabled those systems. No crash or loss-of-control occurred; the issue was d... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
1. Component/System: Multipurpose Camera Unit (IDAS/ADAS system) — U3000-49 "Internal Electronic Failure" + cascading CAN communication faults. The vehicle and diagnostic data (May 15, 2026 scan) are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: Warning lights for LKAS (Lane Keeping) and ACC (Adaptive Cruise) disabled those systems. No crash or loss-of-control occurred; the issue was d... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
1. Component/System: Multipurpose Camera Unit (IDAS/ADAS system) — U3000-49 "Internal Electronic Failure" + cascading CAN communication faults. The vehicle and diagnostic data (May 15, 2026 scan) are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: Warning lights for LKAS (Lane Keeping) and ACC (Adaptive Cruise) disabled those systems. No crash or loss-of-control occurred; the issue was d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
This is a well-known and widely reported issue: 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid car, which has recently experienced the following dashboard alert: "Hybrid system warning! Safely stop and do not drive." When the car is pulled over and shut down and sits for roughly 10 minutes, it starts up just fine and runs again for an undetermined amount of time, and then the alert will go off unexpectedly. This h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
This is a well-known and widely reported issue: 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid car, which has recently experienced the following dashboard alert: "Hybrid system warning! Safely stop and do not drive." When the car is pulled over and shut down and sits for roughly 10 minutes, it starts up just fine and runs again for an undetermined amount of time, and then the alert will go off unexpectedly. This h... Read more