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
Page 152 of 44,908 (2,245,377 complaints)
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
Ive been waiting for years for the previous recalls I have been informed about to get fixed. Feul system,brake lights.Was told by Toyota that someone would call me to come to get them taken care of. In the meantime, constantly checking that my brake lights are working before departing on any excursions in truck & patiently waiting for toyota to reach out when they were gonna fix the first 2 recall... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
Ive been waiting for years for the previous recalls I have been informed about to get fixed. Feul system,brake lights.Was told by Toyota that someone would call me to come to get them taken care of. In the meantime, constantly checking that my brake lights are working before departing on any excursions in truck & patiently waiting for toyota to reach out when they were gonna fix the first 2 recall... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
Ive been waiting for years for the previous recalls I have been informed about to get fixed. Feul system,brake lights.Was told by Toyota that someone would call me to come to get them taken care of. In the meantime, constantly checking that my brake lights are working before departing on any excursions in truck & patiently waiting for toyota to reach out when they were gonna fix the first 2 recall... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
After the update earlier this summer for an emissions issue, my car, a 2017 Hyundi Santa Fe Sport, has not run right. When it is cold, the first trip on the day, it hesitates and sputters to an extent that it is not safe on the nearest highway where the speed limit is 35. We have been compensating by driving slowly around the neighborhood for a few minutes, and then it's fine. It has been happenin... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2025) - SUSPENSION
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding two serious safety-related failures with my Tesla Cybertruck: a braking-system malfunction and a rear suspension/subframe failure at approximately 12,500 miles. The vehicle previously experienced a significant braking problem that required repair by an authorized Tesla Service Center. The initial repair did not properly resolve the issue, requiring the veh... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2025) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding two serious safety-related failures with my Tesla Cybertruck: a braking-system malfunction and a rear suspension/subframe failure at approximately 12,500 miles. The vehicle previously experienced a significant braking problem that required repair by an authorized Tesla Service Center. The initial repair did not properly resolve the issue, requiring the veh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owned a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence and unoccupied for over 24 hours, the contact's son smelled smoke, looked out the bedroom window, and observed flames coming from the tailgate and the rear of the vehicle. The contact's son notified 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. A police report was n... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owned a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence and unoccupied for over 24 hours, the contact's son smelled smoke, looked out the bedroom window, and observed flames coming from the tailgate and the rear of the vehicle. The contact's son notified 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. A police report was n... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owned a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence and unoccupied for over 24 hours, the contact's son smelled smoke, looked out the bedroom window, and observed flames coming from the tailgate and the rear of the vehicle. The contact's son notified 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. A police report was n... Read more
Fire
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2011) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding a serious paint defect on my Kia in which the exterior paint is peeling off in large sheets. I purchased the vehicle used from Dean McCurry Kia, and the dealership was aware of the paint issue before selling the vehicle to me but failed to properly repair or disclose the condition before the sale. The paint has continued to deteriorate and is now peeling extens... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message “Service Soon” was displayed on the app, and the failure was caused by a misfire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, which caused the engine failure. The contact was informed ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train). The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact discovered that the transmission had failed to shift into park(P) even though the gear shifter was in park(P). The transmission was successfully ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
Driving on busy road when heard a squealing from the engine bay of the vehicle. Moments later the vehicle lost power. It was a very dangerous situation traveling approximately 45mph on a multi-lane road in urban St. Louis Missouri. There was not a check engine light prior. The vehicle had a recall performed per GMC instructions prior (this amounted to a different viscosity oil....). The breakdown ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
Driving on busy road when heard a squealing from the engine bay of the vehicle. Moments later the vehicle lost power. It was a very dangerous situation traveling approximately 45mph on a multi-lane road in urban St. Louis Missouri. There was not a check engine light prior. The vehicle had a recall performed per GMC instructions prior (this amounted to a different viscosity oil....). The breakdown ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
Driving on busy road when heard a squealing from the engine bay of the vehicle. Moments later the vehicle lost power. It was a very dangerous situation traveling approximately 45mph on a multi-lane road in urban St. Louis Missouri. There was not a check engine light prior. The vehicle had a recall performed per GMC instructions prior (this amounted to a different viscosity oil....). The breakdown ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera malfunctioned and displayed an upside down or distorted image, with the distance being inaccurate. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle reversed into a fence. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assist... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH with her children inside the vehicle and making a turn, while attempting to stop on a hill, the brakes suddenly became inoperable, but the contact was able to avoid a crash. The brake fluid was low prior to the failure. Additionally, fluid was added, but the failure persisted, and the contact’s husband added more ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH with her children inside the vehicle and making a turn, while attempting to stop on a hill, the brakes suddenly became inoperable, but the contact was able to avoid a crash. The brake fluid was low prior to the failure. Additionally, fluid was added, but the failure persisted, and the contact’s husband added more ... Read more
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2014) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
Rear backup camera is defective and not working. Initially it would work intermittently and but now for the last few months it does not work at all. I went to dealership and contacted Lincoln directly and they refused to repair the defective rear camera. Despite there being an open recall for the exact same problem for model years 2015 and up.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
On [XXX], after arriving at our campground in Tok, Alaska, the main entry-door latch/handle on our 2023 Fleetwood Bounder motorhome failed completely. I parked the motorhome in front of the campground office. When I attempted to open the main entry door by lifting the door handle, the handle broke off and came completely into my hand. The door would no longer open. There were four people inside ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
On [XXX], after arriving at our campground in Tok, Alaska, the main entry-door latch/handle on our 2023 Fleetwood Bounder motorhome failed completely. I parked the motorhome in front of the campground office. When I attempted to open the main entry door by lifting the door handle, the handle broke off and came completely into my hand. The door would no longer open. There were four people inside ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was idling roughly, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be shifted into neutral in to be started. Upon shifting into reverse, the vehicle shut off, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed, an... Read more
TOYOTA
VENZA HYBRID
(2024) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
Parked at work as usual on 8/17/2026 in the morning and in the afternoon when i was ready to go home, i noticed the windshield was chipped closed to the bottom. The chip itself is quite tiny and doesn’t look like it was hit by an object. The crack link goes upwards and turns towards the passenger side. The weather has been very hot in the past several weeks.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
While using Tesla's Actually Smart Summon feature via the phone app in a hospital parking garage, my unoccupied 2017 Model S initiated an unexpected turning maneuver and struck a clearly visible parked SUV (a 2019 Toyota RAV4). I was within line of sight and actively supervising per Tesla's instructions, but the vehicle turned into the parked car without any meaningful opportunity to intervene bef... Read more
Crash
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2026) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 21, 2026
Driving through a green light going 45 mph and my car had an episode of “phantom braking” and decided to automatically brake out of NO WHERE. Slinging me forward and scaring me. No warning signs or chimes came on before, during or after the incident. It made no sense. I’m scared to drive this car with my baby in it now in the fear of going the speed limit or driving on the freeway with it ra... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2026) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 21, 2026
Driving through a green light going 45 mph and my car had an episode of “phantom braking” and decided to automatically brake out of NO WHERE. Slinging me forward and scaring me. No warning signs or chimes came on before, during or after the incident. It made no sense. I’m scared to drive this car with my baby in it now in the fear of going the speed limit or driving on the freeway with it ra... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that an engineer was sent from the dealer to the residence and the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, after the recall repair, the message that the top speed of the vehicle was limited to 80 MPH was displayed. Additionally, the transmission was shifting roughly while shifting gears. The contact... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 21, 2026
Main cluster display not working. Remainder of displays, accessories and truck works as normal
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and merging onto the highway, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle temporarily operated as intended; however, the failure reoccurred. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Directly after the dealer, Johnson Hyundai of Apex, completed Service Campaign 9C2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ECM. They told ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Directly after the dealer, Johnson Hyundai of Apex, completed Service Campaign 9C2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ECM. They told ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Directly after the dealer, Johnson Hyundai of Apex, completed Service Campaign 9C2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ECM. They told ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed; however, the RPM was extremely elevated. The vehicle then lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on three separate occasions. After the first failure, the dealer stated that the failure was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
While idling in my driveway, the engine started to shake and the check engine light came on. Got it diagnosed and was told by a private repair center that we had lost compression in cylinder 4 and that it was not worth the repair and we needed to replace the engine. Got it towed to the dealership, Bill Fox Chevrolet, for a 2nd opinion and they confirmed what the private shop had said. Because the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I request a $2,935.58 reimbursement from Honda for a catastrophic manufacturing defect on my 2020 CR-V (78,248 miles). This includes a $2,105.58 dealer repair bill and an $830.00 emergency highway tow bill. Honda Corporate denied goodwill solely on mileage, ignoring proof of an internal component defect.THE FAILURE & SAFETY RISK: While driving on a highway, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The contact pulled over and inspected under the hood. The vehicle was restarted, and the engine revved six times with smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, wh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
Incident / Safety Defect Summary: A certified Tesla mobile service technician improperly calibrated the low-beam headlights on my 2018 Tesla Model 3, causing a severe reduction in forward night visibility and creating an immediate roadway crash hazard in direct violation of FMVSS 108 illumination standards. Detailed Description of the Safety Failure: Improper Calibration Environment: The technicia... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the speedometer and fuel gauge were inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V506000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the IPC blank an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Failure of the iccu. Needed complete replacement under warranty. Unable to charge via any AC charger. The iccu had already been repaired under an existing recall.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The vehicle won't start, electrical system failure. Sometimes the electrical system fails when the car is driving/it will stall on the road. It was predicated by the alarm going off intermittently and without provocation (in the middle of the night/etc).
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The vehicle won't start, electrical system failure. Sometimes the electrical system fails when the car is driving/it will stall on the road. It was predicated by the alarm going off intermittently and without provocation (in the middle of the night/etc).
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 19, 2026
My vehicle prompted me to do an update on software. As soon as I completed this my SOS button turned red. I immediately contacted my Volkswagen app and told them what was going on I was instructed that they did not see anything on their end that I would need to take it to a dealer and let them check it out upon my arrival at the Dealer they’re telling me that my module needs to be replaced pleas... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
I was involved in a serious motor vehicle collision involving my Volvo. The collision was essentially a head-on impact that occurred following a medical emergency. The vehicle sustained significant damage in the collision and is essentially totaled. During the crash, all of the vehicle's airbags DID NOT deploy with the exception of the right curtain airbag. I am concerned that the airbags did not... Read more
Crash
1 injured
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2026) - ENGINE
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
This is the issue I’m having with this vehicle since I purchased it July3,2026 car shuts off in middle of road and car also loss of power in middle of road while still trying to press gas then jerks backfire issue was reported to dealership. Brand new vehicle but keep having issues that’s not being reported
Incident date: Aug 21, 2026
I was driving 35 mph and my car automatically braked suddenly despite no object in the road. Afterwards I checked the front of my vehicle and there was no obvious dirt/bugs/etc on the front radar or camera. I now turn off the collision mitigating braking system each time I start the car as I'm afraid it will brake again without cause.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - SUSPENSION
Aug 21, 2026
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
The front upper control arm failed and the driver side wheel collapsed. There was no warning. Luckily I wasn’t pulling my RV camper down a mountain, it could have been catastrophic . I towed it to Carson Chevrolet. They gave me an estimate of $6,000 + for repairs. They had no reasonable explanation.