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 18 of 44,908 (2,245,377 complaints)
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
My passenger side brake light bulb burned out. Tried to remove it. The bulb socket seems stuck maybe melted to the housing. Unable to free the bulb to replace. This specific bulb it at the top of the lens cover which is extremely difficult to grasp to turn. I have had several people assist me with no success. Not wanting to get a ticket for this failure when I have full intentions of fixing it.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 Jaguar I-PACE and recall H572 involving the high-voltage battery pack. My vehicle has approximately 90,000 miles. I received information regarding recall H572, which involves a potential thermal issue with the high-voltage battery pack that can create a safety risk. I am concerned about the safety and reliability of the vehicle because of the battery ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 Jaguar I-PACE and recall H572 involving the high-voltage battery pack. My vehicle has approximately 90,000 miles. I received information regarding recall H572, which involves a potential thermal issue with the high-voltage battery pack that can create a safety risk. I am concerned about the safety and reliability of the vehicle because of the battery ... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2021) - ENGINE
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
On Saturday at approximately 8:25 p.m., my 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid SEL abruptly entered limp mode while traveling on a major highway. The vehicle's speed rapidly dropped from approximately 60-65mph to 20 mph in heavy, high-speed (many driving over 70mph)traffic. I immediately activated my hazard lights and exited the highway at the first opportunity, narrowly avoiding a serious fatal collision. T... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
On Saturday at approximately 8:25 p.m., my 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid SEL abruptly entered limp mode while traveling on a major highway. The vehicle's speed rapidly dropped from approximately 60-65mph to 20 mph in heavy, high-speed (many driving over 70mph)traffic. I immediately activated my hazard lights and exited the highway at the first opportunity, narrowly avoiding a serious fatal collision. T... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
While driving home from work in my 2024 Honda Accord EX 1.5T, multiple warning lights suddenly came on on the dashboard. Shortly afterward, I began smelling a strong gasoline/fuel odor inside the passenger compartment. I stopped the vehicle and got out. I could also smell gasoline outside the vehicle. I opened the hood and the gasoline odor was still noticeable from the engine compartment. Because... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
While driving home from work in my 2024 Honda Accord EX 1.5T, multiple warning lights suddenly came on on the dashboard. Shortly afterward, I began smelling a strong gasoline/fuel odor inside the passenger compartment. I stopped the vehicle and got out. I could also smell gasoline outside the vehicle. I opened the hood and the gasoline odor was still noticeable from the engine compartment. Because... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
While driving home from work in my 2024 Honda Accord EX 1.5T, multiple warning lights suddenly came on on the dashboard. Shortly afterward, I began smelling a strong gasoline/fuel odor inside the passenger compartment. I stopped the vehicle and got out. I could also smell gasoline outside the vehicle. I opened the hood and the gasoline odor was still noticeable from the engine compartment. Because... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
towing control module, brake lights work trailer breaks will not grab, lights on the module do not come on the module has never worked since I bought the 2024 dodge 3500 dually diesel
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
towing control module, brake lights work trailer breaks will not grab, lights on the module do not come on the module has never worked since I bought the 2024 dodge 3500 dually diesel
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I experienced a sudden loss of power and steering while driving my vehicle. The screen advised me to pull over because the engine would shut off soon, but I already had lost steering and power. I turned the car off and was able to restart it and drive it 1 mile home, and the check engine light was on. I had it towed to the dealer. After 2 weeks of testing, the dealer reported, “When your vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I experienced a sudden loss of power and steering while driving my vehicle. The screen advised me to pull over because the engine would shut off soon, but I already had lost steering and power. I turned the car off and was able to restart it and drive it 1 mile home, and the check engine light was on. I had it towed to the dealer. After 2 weeks of testing, the dealer reported, “When your vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2026
I experienced a sudden loss of power and steering while driving my vehicle. The screen advised me to pull over because the engine would shut off soon, but I already had lost steering and power. I turned the car off and was able to restart it and drive it 1 mile home, and the check engine light was on. I had it towed to the dealer. After 2 weeks of testing, the dealer reported, “When your vehicle... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
I HAD COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE IN MAY OF 2019 THAT THERE WAS A SHUDDERING NOISE AND THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND SEEMS TO LOCK UP AT TIMES. I WAS TOLD IT WAS "JUST HOW THE 8-SPEED TRANSMISSION OPERATES". IT HAS CONTNUED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND NOW SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY DURING ACCELERATION.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) - ENGINE
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
The 6.2 engine in my truck failed while driving and it has been determine that I need a new motor. This motor was on the recall list. I brought it in for the PICO recall test in October we 2025 and it passed. They then changed the oil for a much more expensive 0w40. The engine failed in August leaving me stranded on side of the highway. It has been at the dealership since August 7th. There is no e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2026
My 2021 Kia Telluride has developed progressively worsening engine problems without any warning lights ever appearing that may present a serious safety concern. Approximately two months ago, the vehicle began experiencing significant engine shaking and rocking. Maintenance and repairs were performed, and the symptoms temporarily improved. The engine symptoms later returned. The vehicle began maki... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
During a routine inspection by an independent mechanic, it was discovered that the front lower compliance link (control arm) bushings are severely cracked on both the left and right sides of my 2018 Tesla Model 3. Both the compliance links and the lateral links require immediate replacement to prevent a catastrophic structural failure. Tesla Service has provided a repair estimate of $2,012.00 to f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
I drive for a delivery company called Dispatch. I believe the functionality of the app is a serious safety concern. Drivers are sent possible delivery jobs through the app. We have 45 seconds to respond if we accept the job or decline it. The info we are provided is quite lengthy and requires us to scroll through the page to find out all the info needed for us to make a determination if we want to... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
Most recently, on or about 09/05/2026, driving on the freeway at about 65 mph with the sun directly in the windshield, the car suddenly issued an urgent take-over-immediately alert and Autosteer disengaged with no advance warning. My 2025 Tesla Model 3 uses a camera-only driver assistance system (Tesla Vision). Whenever I drive toward a low sun - at sunrise or sunset - the forward-facing cameras ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
Most recently, on or about 09/05/2026, driving on the freeway at about 65 mph with the sun directly in the windshield, the car suddenly issued an urgent take-over-immediately alert and Autosteer disengaged with no advance warning. My 2025 Tesla Model 3 uses a camera-only driver assistance system (Tesla Vision). Whenever I drive toward a low sun - at sunrise or sunset - the forward-facing cameras ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
Lost power on steering wheel while driving, unable to turn left/right. All of the warning lights related to braking, lane assist, hill descent, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assist, hill start assist, low speed breaking, auto-high beam, parking sensor detector, etc.. "All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer."
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
Lost power on steering wheel while driving, unable to turn left/right. All of the warning lights related to braking, lane assist, hill descent, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assist, hill start assist, low speed breaking, auto-high beam, parking sensor detector, etc.. "All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer."
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
Lost power on steering wheel while driving, unable to turn left/right. All of the warning lights related to braking, lane assist, hill descent, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assist, hill start assist, low speed breaking, auto-high beam, parking sensor detector, etc.. "All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer."
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power, came to a full stop, and was unable to be restarted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to perform the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
The vehicle's transmission shifter mechanism has failed for a second time, preventing the vehicle's computer from communicating with the gear shifter. When shifting the physical gear lever forward into the "Park" position and attempting to shut off the engine, a warning message reading "Action Required: Shift to Park" appears on the driver instrument dashboard display.This exact failure previously... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
The vehicle's transmission shifter mechanism has failed for a second time, preventing the vehicle's computer from communicating with the gear shifter. When shifting the physical gear lever forward into the "Park" position and attempting to shut off the engine, a warning message reading "Action Required: Shift to Park" appears on the driver instrument dashboard display.This exact failure previously... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Two intermittent problems began about one year ago at approximately 43,000 miles (current mileage approximately 48,000): 1) Rearview (backup) camera intermittently fails. When shifting into reverse, the display screen goes black or the camera image freezes. This causes a loss of rear visibility while backing up, creating a risk of striking a pedestrian or object behind the vehicle. 2) Audio syst... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Two intermittent problems began about one year ago at approximately 43,000 miles (current mileage approximately 48,000): 1) Rearview (backup) camera intermittently fails. When shifting into reverse, the display screen goes black or the camera image freezes. This causes a loss of rear visibility while backing up, creating a risk of striking a pedestrian or object behind the vehicle. 2) Audio syst... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing a critical failure of the Brake Actuator and Booster Pump assembly. The dashboard currently displays multiple warning indicators: ABS light, Traction Control light, and the Brake System Warning light (Master Warning "!"). Symptoms: Mechanical Failure: The internal high-pressure accumulator is failing to hold pressure. The electric brake booster pump is heard cycling e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I was driving with my family when I lost power steering and every warning light on my dash lit up. The truck then started lunging. The dealership came and picked up the truck. They told me the power steering control module on the rack and pinion failed sending a signal to the computer that everything failed at once, steering, shifting, traction control, temp gage, abs.... everything
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I was driving with my family when I lost power steering and every warning light on my dash lit up. The truck then started lunging. The dealership came and picked up the truck. They told me the power steering control module on the rack and pinion failed sending a signal to the computer that everything failed at once, steering, shifting, traction control, temp gage, abs.... everything
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
I was driving with my family when I lost power steering and every warning light on my dash lit up. The truck then started lunging. The dealership came and picked up the truck. They told me the power steering control module on the rack and pinion failed sending a signal to the computer that everything failed at once, steering, shifting, traction control, temp gage, abs.... everything
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
While driving the car, it seemed to slip into neutral. We took it to the dealer who does all our maintenance on the car and was told we needed to replace the transmission. The cost would be $6046.45 plus tax. The car is 10 years old, but only has 58,714 miles on it. We contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs, and they only told us that the car is outside the extended warranty of 7 years Nissan offered a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a severe, sudden electronic and mechanical failure of the shift interlock system and the Body Control Module (BCM) that compromises vehicle control and leaves the vehicle stranded in active traffic conditions. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the shifter lever suddenly became physically jammed and highly resistant, refusing to shift out of the "Park... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a severe, sudden electronic and mechanical failure of the shift interlock system and the Body Control Module (BCM) that compromises vehicle control and leaves the vehicle stranded in active traffic conditions. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the shifter lever suddenly became physically jammed and highly resistant, refusing to shift out of the "Park... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the bearings in the strut were on the top, causing the front wheels to lower to the ground. The contact heard a very loud clank, and the struts separated from the vehicle at the same time while reversing out of the driveway.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
While traveling at 75 mph(speed limit) on the interstate, the vehicle's CVT transmission suffered a catastrophic failure and suddenly lost all power/acceleration, dropping into a low-gear limp mode. No engine light appeared until after we parked. This caused an immediate and dangerous drop in speed in high-speed busy traffic, nearly causing a severe multi-vehicle collision. We put our hazards on a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
Over the past two weeks the steering effort on my 2nd generation Tacoma has become progressively harder to turn the wheel past certain points in both directions. I initially thought it was a steering pump problem, but based on reporting on the TacomaWorld site, it appears very likely this is a problem with the universal joints at the bottom of the Steering Intermediate Shaft. Their site shows th... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
Hood Molding- While driving down highway 45 doing about 75 miles per hour the hood molding detached on the driver side and started beating against the hood. I was unable to reach and exit before the entire mood flew off and over car. Fortunately, there were no cars right behind me to cause and accident, except an 18-wheeler about 2 cars back and he ran over the molding. I contacted the dealership ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2023) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
I am submitting a complaint regarding a serious electronic/infotainment failure in my 2023 VW Atlas that occurred following VW’s software update. Prior to the software update, the infotainment system & related functions were operating normally. Following the update, the infotainment/navigation system failed. The center display is completely black. The loss of the backup camera is a particular sa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 20, 2026
I am submitting a complaint regarding a serious electronic/infotainment failure in my 2023 VW Atlas that occurred following VW’s software update. Prior to the software update, the infotainment system & related functions were operating normally. Following the update, the infotainment/navigation system failed. The center display is completely black. The loss of the backup camera is a particular sa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
My 2022 Tesla Model Y does not reliably activate the rear air-conditioning vents when a baby is properly restrained in a rear car seat. When the climate system is set to Auto, the rear vents remain off because the vehicle does not detect the baby/car seat as an occupant. When an adult occupies the same rear seat, the vehicle detects the passenger and the rear vents activate automatically. This cr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
The vehicle intermittently experiences a loss of engine power or significant hesitation when accelerating from a stop or from a slow speed. This has occurred multiple times, including when accelerating from a complete stop and after making a low-speed turn. This creates a safety risk when pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning into traffic, or accelerating from a stop or slow spe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
The vehicle intermittently experiences a loss of engine power or significant hesitation when accelerating from a stop or from a slow speed. This has occurred multiple times, including when accelerating from a complete stop and after making a low-speed turn. This creates a safety risk when pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning into traffic, or accelerating from a stop or slow spe... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Sequoia. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 158,343, and at the time of vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 258,000.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
Ford has issued a recall related to the driver seat recline memory feature. It is recall 26V470. The remedy (software-based) disables the driver seat recline memory feature altogether. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. Instead of correcting the issue with the recline memory feature, Ford has chosen to disable the feature completely. I did not purchase a new vehicle, just to have the manufacturer disable ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2026) - LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and groceries were being placed inside the trunk, the hatch unexpectedly closed. The hatch struck the contact on the head and failed to raise up. The contact moved out of the way before the hatch completely closed. The contact was traumatized by the failure and was taking aspirin for the pain. The de... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
I am experiencing a strong mechanical binding, "sticky" sensation, and noticeable clicking noise in the steering wheel of my 2022 Honda CRV when turning, particularly at low speeds and near center, though it is noticeable at highway speeds. There are no warning lights or DTC codes. When rotating the wheel, there is distinct friction and a catching point. While it can be moved past with extra effor... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
I own a 2024 Subaru Outback Limited XT, VIN [XXX]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was NOTHING in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehic... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
I own a 2024 Subaru Outback Limited XT, VIN [XXX]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was NOTHING in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehic... Read more