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 175 of 44,908 (2,245,377 complaints)
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
Transmission spudder when accelerates only at 75K miles
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
Transmission spudder when accelerates only at 75K miles
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning left, the steering wheel was making a clicking sound and became difficult to turn the steering wheel back to center. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 24-011 (that addressed a sticky steering, increased steering effort, or clicking noises caused by excess... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2026
On XXX, about 8:30 a.m., in clear, sunny weather, I was turning my 2024 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid into a marked parking space. My foot was off the accelerator; I applied light brake pressure while the vehicle moved under 5 mph. Without warning, it suddenly and spontaneously accelerated at high speed. Within seconds it drove over a concrete parking stop, traveled through dense landscaping, and coll... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 27, 2026
On XXX, about 8:30 a.m., in clear, sunny weather, I was turning my 2024 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid into a marked parking space. My foot was off the accelerator; I applied light brake pressure while the vehicle moved under 5 mph. Without warning, it suddenly and spontaneously accelerated at high speed. Within seconds it drove over a concrete parking stop, traveled through dense landscaping, and coll... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 27, 2026
On XXX, about 8:30 a.m., in clear, sunny weather, I was turning my 2024 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid into a marked parking space. My foot was off the accelerator; I applied light brake pressure while the vehicle moved under 5 mph. Without warning, it suddenly and spontaneously accelerated at high speed. Within seconds it drove over a concrete parking stop, traveled through dense landscaping, and coll... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to park into a parking spot, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and drove over a curb onto the grass. The contact depressed the brake pedal with extra force; however, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The contact stated the passenger’s side front fender crashed into the passenger’s side door of the ot... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to park into a parking spot, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and drove over a curb onto the grass. The contact depressed the brake pedal with extra force; however, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The contact stated the passenger’s side front fender crashed into the passenger’s side door of the ot... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletins: 19-032 and 19-037. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with fuel injector failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while making a left turn at 10 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the vehicle and t-boned the front passenger's side door of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. After the impact, the front windshield slowly cracked. A Police report was filed. The contact and her husband were transported by a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
XXX My wife drive her 2018 audi q5 2.0 on express way with mother([XXX]),the car suddenly stall and lost all power ,because car bcm2 module has suffered liquid damage due to known vehicle design defect, towing to nearest repair shop change new bcm2 module and fix wire spend near $4000.00 dollars . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, the driver's side of the vehicle was leaning. The failure had occurred while the contact and minor children were on vacation and ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, the driver's side of the vehicle was leaning. The failure had occurred while the contact and minor children were on vacation and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with turbo charger assembly failure. The contact was informed that the turbo charger assembly needed to be replaced. No further informa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Azera. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH uphill, the steering column suddenly locked up. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. After restarting the vehicle, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light illuminated. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, wh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked after fueling, the fuel door failed to latch as needed, especially when it was extremely hot outside. The contact poured cool or cold water on the fuel door to latch it securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the locking mechanism for the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while sitting at a traffic light, with the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, the vehicle completely shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The failure was a recurring failure. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA25... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The failure persisted, and the fuel odor became stronger, causing the contact headaches while driving the vehicle. Upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure, the mechanic discovered that the fuel lin... Read more
1 injured
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) - STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on several occasions, the contact became aware that the front driver’s side metal near the check strap was splitting, and while the driver’s door was opened, there was a cracking sound coming from the door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the door might swing... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the suspension on the undercarriage of the vehicle was separating from the vehicle. The contact stated that a year prior to the failure, the half shaft used to attach the wheel to the vehicle subframe was fractured and was falling off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center to be diagnosed, and it was determined th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the suspension on the undercarriage of the vehicle was separating from the vehicle. The contact stated that a year prior to the failure, the half shaft used to attach the wheel to the vehicle subframe was fractured and was falling off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center to be diagnosed, and it was determined th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Multiple occasions of the ADAS lane centering system operating unsafely. The worst one was on a gentle left-hand curve on a concrete surfaced bridge at night. The system allowed the vehicle to slowly drift to the outside of the lane. When it was fairly close to the white line, it jerked the wheel back to the left and then released the steering to my control while pointed hard into the oncoming ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2026) - BACK OVER PREVENTION
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera failed to display the image at the rear of the vehicle, and the radio was also disabled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,500.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
My RAM vehicle has several open safety recalls. For more than six months, I have repeatedly contacted my local authorized RAM dealership (Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram FIAT of Winter Haven, Address: [XXX], Phone: [XXX]) to have these safety recalls completed. The dealership has advised me that the required recall parts are unavailable and therefore they cannot perform the repairs. I also contacted RAM/... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
My RAM vehicle has several open safety recalls. For more than six months, I have repeatedly contacted my local authorized RAM dealership (Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram FIAT of Winter Haven, Address: [XXX], Phone: [XXX]) to have these safety recalls completed. The dealership has advised me that the required recall parts are unavailable and therefore they cannot perform the repairs. I also contacted RAM/... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact was concerned that the recall posed a fire risk, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive or park. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
I purchased a vehicle from a car dealer "as is" with a clean title. About two months after purchase I took it to a mechanic after I got an airbag light and he told me the vehicle was missing airbags and was in a hard enough collision that it caused the airbags to deploy. This was not listed on the Carfax report and was not disclosed to me. I would have never purchased a vehicle if I knew it was mi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
On 05/01/2026 the battery failed and the car needed to be jumped and immediately driven to a dealership for battery replacement. The battery would not hold a charge. On 8/15/2026 the A/C went out and upon a diagnostic service appointment at the dealership on 8/17/2026 it was determined that the compressor suffered a catastrophic failure and melted.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
On 05/01/2026 the battery failed and the car needed to be jumped and immediately driven to a dealership for battery replacement. The battery would not hold a charge. On 8/15/2026 the A/C went out and upon a diagnostic service appointment at the dealership on 8/17/2026 it was determined that the compressor suffered a catastrophic failure and melted.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
2022 chevy suburban diesel. Severe paint chipping and rust around windshield and top of truck. Midnight blue is the color and chevy is not covering the his defect of it destroying my truck right now complete rust and chunks of paint chipping away on the windshield it is so noticeable how bad this is chipping. And whole top of truck and front paneling show same signs everywhere of bubbling ready t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
While my wife was driving on a flat straight road, she heard a loud bang noise from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle made a loud grinding noise. Upon inspection, it was found the bolt securing the front right damper to the suspension had snapped and come loose. The nut fastening the bolt was lost on the roadside.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. 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 contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was intermittently inoperable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2026
Prior to the 5,000 mile oil change, I experienced at least five transmission shifting issues and reported the problem to Bergstrom Service Department. They test drove it and found no issues at that time and could not repeat the shifting issues while I was there. From what I have observed, the engine will rev up to a high rpm but will not shift automatically. You then have to pull over to the sh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the driver’s side B-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and was dangling by two wires. The contact later used black duct tape to seal the trim in place. The dealer was notified of the failure and later informed the contact that parts for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) were not available for the r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2026
The check engine light came on, indicating a misfire in cylinder one and later cylinder two. The local Ford service center states that Coolant has been leaking into cylinder 2 and that a full engine block replacement is required due to complete failure. The vehicle overheated a couple of times while driving before this diagnosis.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I purchased a 2017 Ford F-150 on July 9th. It is covered under Safety Recall 26S28 (NHTSA Campaign 26V23700). On July 25th, the vehicle entered highway limp mode due to an Output Speed Sensor failure (Code P0722). A Ford dealership performed the 26S28 software flash but left the failing physical lead frame hardware in the vehicle. On August 15th, the truck reverted to a dangerous limp mode on the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I purchased a 2017 Ford F-150 on July 9th. It is covered under Safety Recall 26S28 (NHTSA Campaign 26V23700). On July 25th, the vehicle entered highway limp mode due to an Output Speed Sensor failure (Code P0722). A Ford dealership performed the 26S28 software flash but left the failing physical lead frame hardware in the vehicle. On August 15th, the truck reverted to a dangerous limp mode on the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I purchased a 2017 Ford F-150 on July 9th. It is covered under Safety Recall 26S28 (NHTSA Campaign 26V23700). On July 25th, the vehicle entered highway limp mode due to an Output Speed Sensor failure (Code P0722). A Ford dealership performed the 26S28 software flash but left the failing physical lead frame hardware in the vehicle. On August 15th, the truck reverted to a dangerous limp mode on the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner o... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner o... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner o... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2022 Honda Accord. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 26,000; however, three days after retrieving a Carfax report, it was discovered that the mileage was 217,000.
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brake light warning light illuminated, and while depressing brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The transmission was shifted to a lower gear, and the hazard lights were activated, and the vehicle was slowly driven to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer to be diagn... Read more
SUBARU
TRAILSEEKER
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 18, 2026
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
12 Volt battery dies frequently leading to the vehicle becoming inoperable. Subaru has so far provided little information regarding a permanent fix other than to discontinue all use of mobile apps that connect to the vehicle and to move any key fobs away from the vehicle as far as possible. The issue occurs on average one a month from my experience, and requires the car to get towed back into serv... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed an upside-down image. The d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced severe overheating and excessive oil consumption. The contact also stated that there was a misfire in the engine even though the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. Due to the failure, the vehicle could not be driven with the air conditioning activated. Additiona... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2026
The vehicle suffered an internal connecting rod bearing failure, a known manufacturing defect affecting the Theta II GDI engine. The failure was explicitly diagnosed via the manufacturer - specific OBD-II fault code p1326 Knock Sensor Detector System. This defect causes sudden engine stalling poses an immediate risk of catastrophic engine failure or fire while driving. Hyundai Motor America has de... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V607000 (Seat Belts) and 26V034000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted; however, the parts for the recall repairs were not availabl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V607000 (Seat Belts) and 26V034000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted; however, the parts for the recall repairs were not availabl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2026
The light comes on due to an emission system warning, shaking, and a lack of power; the engine is severely misfiring. This is the second time I have complained about this to the NHTSA