Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 28,115 complaints for BUICK
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
Over ~3 years of ownership, the vehicle has experienced recurrent electrical and engine-management issues, resulting in 15+ service visits and ~100 cumulative days out of service at an authorized dealer. Patterns include: (1) electrical—keyless entry intermittently unresponsive, instrument cluster flickering/rebooting, multiple warning messages including a battery/electrical icon, HVAC/A/C becom... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
While driving at night in a poorly lit area, I could barely see. I turned on the high beam but it blinded on coming traffic. I checked into this and found out Nissan was sued for this and had a short (approximately 3 months) period when you could get it fixed for free from the dealership. No recall issued even though Nissan was well aware of this. But when I tried to get it fixed, the dealership ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
Component or system failed- Lifter in the 4th cylinder - 4 different times. Safety - Driving down the interstate, when the lifter goes out the truck slows down in limp mode and causes safety issues for myself and vehicles around me. Problem has been fixed 4 times, now waiting on a BRAND-NEW MOTOR that is on backorder for the foreseeable future. NO WARNINGS WHATSOEVER.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
This recall is for Rear Camera Screen Software Update, NHTSA #25V315 isn't available right now. The update has not been released yet. I went to dealer to dealer and they told me they could not fix it because there is no remedy not yet available. They camera is also working fine, no issue at all. Could you be able to remove this recall for me or update me when there is an update? I use this vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
Bought a 2023 gmc sierra 2500 duramax. Went into limp mode took it to dealership the transmission was bad so they replace transmission after 3 month of dealer having my truck . Got the truck back still having issues with transmission not shifting right and the rear tires locking up at highway speeds .
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
When going around town or on the highway the steering wheel will start shaking badly and when going to break even after the breaks have been changed the parking break will not stay on and the steering wheel will start shaking horribly to the point where your might crash your car I have had the car looked at multiple times by different manufacturers dealerships and auto shops and they all say to Ch... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal, and hesitated while accelerating after a complete stop. The contact stated that occasionally the check engine warning light illuminated, and the dipstick was checked, and the engine oil was low. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and an oil and oil filter change was per... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
My car all of a sudden is having electrical issues. The radio is changing stations and volume all by itself. The steering wheel is getting hard to turn. The brake light fuse is burning out right away. I’ve replaced the fuse 3 times already in one week but it keeps burning out within 24hrs or less. My gages are going up and down fast motion. My battery all of a sudden is draining and it is brand ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
I am submitting a safety concern with my 2016 Chevrolet Colorado truck. This vehicle is experiencing intermittent loss of power steering assist, which poses a significant safety risk. This issue mirrors the defect described in the GM Recall 15595A, which affected 2015 Chevrolet Canyon and GMC Canyon models. The root cause appears to be a poor electrical connection in the torque sensor harness co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wagoneer. The contact stated that several unknown lights on the instrument cluster were illuminated and flashing. Additionally, the headlights were flashing, and the camera screen was blank. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, additional force was needed to stop the vehicle. There was an abnormal horn sound detected. The contact stated that the en... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
I am writing to express my serious concern and frustration regarding the unresolved recall on my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 (VIN: [XXX] ). Despite multiple visits to multiple dealerships, I was repeatedly told that the necessary parts to complete the recall repair were on back order and instructed to “wait for parts.” No interim solution or assistance was ever offered. As a result of this... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH, the instrument cluster became inoperable. The contact stated that the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V652000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument cluster was defective. The vehicle was not repaired. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The instrument panel side of the infotainment screen has gone completely black on multiple times . The heads up display flickers and goes out, therefore, no way to see what speed I’m going.. extremely dangerous.. also all warning “dash” lights come on. I have A video of the dash lights on and the screen going black and coming back on.. I dont Make it a habit of driving with phone in hand. Yo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
1. Driving freeway, Lightening bolt warning, ETC came on lost power. 2. At home level 2 charging, charge to 100%. Next day EV charge down to 85% lost 15%. Car sits 3 days down to 1% EV charge. Discharging for no reason. 3. Took to dealer, check for codes. No Fix available. Dealership, took car and put me into rental. I was told unsafe to drive and told may be 2 to 3 months before fix will... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2025
Around Aug. 3, I noticed that when I drove, the interior lights would not turn off. When the car was off, they went out as they should. But every time I started the car they came on and would not turn off. It made it very difficult to drive went it was getting dark. The dealership confirmed that it wasn't the knobs inside the car that were causing this problem. Later, I took it in for them to fin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
Rotor seems to have worn out much quicker than expected. When I break, I can feel certain vibration / bumps. When breaking while going down on a hill, front break also has made screeching noise. Steering feels stiff at times. generally, I have always been topping up gas more than the advertised mileage performance / EPA
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
My 2013 VW Passat SE did have a recall on the airbag in the past. I brought it to the VW dealership & had it fixed. Now it suddenly came on again. Maybe they never fixed it properly.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my vehicle’s front passenger seat belt, which unexpectedly came unlatched. Although Hyundai replaced that one seatbelt, I remain very concerned that other seatbelts in the vehicle could have the same defect. I was informed that the warranty has been extended in case this issue happens again, allowing for additional replacements. However,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
Dear Sir/Madam, I own a 2016 Ford F-150. Over the past few months the vehicle will suddenly hesitate and downshift while driving and the mechanics symbol will appear on the dashboard. This happened to me a few times. At the end of June I had two different mechanics look at the vehicle and both kept the truck for a couple of days and drove it around and neither one could see a problem. I drove the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
My Ford F350 is experiencing the recall deficiency issued by Ford in January 2025 after repeated calls Ford still is unable or unwilling to fix my vehicle. Ford motor company, and the local dealership have told me workarounds could be performed, but they would be done at my expense. A rearview camera on a pick up truck is used often and is a safety hazard when backing up Blind to low objects.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
My Ford F350 is experiencing the recall deficiency issued by Ford in January 2025 after repeated calls Ford still is unable or unwilling to fix my vehicle. Ford motor company, and the local dealership have told me workarounds could be performed, but they would be done at my expense. A rearview camera on a pick up truck is used often and is a safety hazard when backing up Blind to low objects.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
The OnStar Telematics Module has malfunctioned and is causing SAFETY FEATURES to malfunction. It is causing the following to occur to the vehicle: 1. The faulty module is causing the car to shut OFF UNEXPECTEDLY MID DRIVE. Losing control of the vehicle instantly. No steering, no gas, no brake, no gear change. THIS can cause a CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT at higher speeds on the highways. The battery is... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
I have been experiencing an intermittent issue where the vehicle displays a “Shift to Park” message, even though the gear shift lever is clearly in the Park position. When this happens, the vehicle will not fully shut off, and I have to repeatedly move the shifter back and forth or restart the vehicle to clear the message. This issue began around January 2024, and it has become more frequent ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
While driving down the highway the passenger seat headrest airbag deployed. Causing it to hit the back of my head with no warning. There were not any lights on or anything.
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 6, 2025
I recently bought a gear shift bushing cap for the cable since the cable is loose. I bought the part at Tasca Ford in Cranston, RI. The part was hard to find. It’s the same issue as the recall for the same car b ur years prior. Cap disintegrated since its plastic and next to the engine. The most recent part I bought that was used as genuine replacement has also disintegrated. I can see the piec... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
Fo2017 Chevrolet Equinox with the 2.4L Ecotec engine, excessive oil consumption can indirectly cause a timing chain to fail which is a major safety hazard to all occupants.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
Tether anchors are upside down, so the hook on the lower anchor needs to go under the tether anchor. I reached out to Diono and they said it doesn't need to be corrected, but the updated CPST curriculum specifically states that it's a misuse to use the lower anchors that way.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
I purchased my vehicle in 2020. In 2022 I experienced an issue where my car stopped in the middle of the road without warning. Despite several attempts to try and move the vehicle off of the road the police were notified and my vehicle was towed. The vehicle gave an error code that conditions not met for driving. One office tried to put the vehicle in neutral but the wheels locked and the shifter ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
While driving, the engine suddenly shut off without warning. The first incident occurred in May 2025 and stalled twice in late August 2025. Each time I lost motive power and steering/brake assist dropped, I coasted to a safe spot, turned the ignition off and back on, and the vehicle restarted. In May, a shop retrieved P0087 – fuel rail/system pressure too low. They could not reproduce the probl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
While driving, the engine suddenly shut off without warning. The first incident occurred in May 2025 and stalled twice in late August 2025. Each time I lost motive power and steering/brake assist dropped, I coasted to a safe spot, turned the ignition off and back on, and the vehicle restarted. In May, a shop retrieved P0087 – fuel rail/system pressure too low. They could not reproduce the probl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
Telematics module drained my battery mid drive. Car shut off on highway. Module malfunctioned and caused safety features to malfunction. After communication with Dealership, OnStar, ultimately GM refuses to issue a recall on the module. This is a NATIONWIDE issue with GM Telematics Module. Warranty will not cover the module on any of these vehicles. Someone is going to sustain serious bodily injur... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
NHTSA will monitor each safety recall to make sure owners receive safe, free, and effective remedies from manufacturers according to the Safety Act and Federal regulations……………….. ……………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………….. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN # 18E-021 ………………………………... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
Car shut down on highway went into limp mode due to electrical issue. Several times already this has occurred. Recall is in place for this situation. Please help. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
When coming to a stop, my truck will lurch forward and will pull through normal braking, requiring increased braking pedal force to avoid a front collision. This does not happen at every stop, but often enough to be extremly concerning. This has been occurring since I bought the truck new. Truck now has just under 5,000 miles on the odometer and has not improved. I need a solution as I cannot ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
This complaint is regarding a large number of 2008 BMW cars exhibiting the ABS failure light. Mine is a Z4 with @ 65K miles and was diagnosed by a certified mechanic as the ABS module failure - a high ($3000-$4000) cost repair. If you use this search term - "how common is bmw 2008 ABS module failure?", you will see that a multitude of cars from 2008 (and in other years and models using the same mo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
There seems to be a known issue w/ the magnetic chest clip on these seats. The chest clip gets stuck, and even when it seems to be latched together properly it will unclip w/ any pressure. In the case of a collision this could be incredibly dangerous if someone isn't aware they need to check the chest clip when buckling. Originally thought it was just something sticky in it then when I started ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
At around 73k miles, the transmission was starting to have trouble downshifting into lower gears. I brought it into Ford Service shop, and they said nothing was wrong with it. It keeps happening now and then since. At 114k miles, the torque converter wouldn't drop down. It was dispersing metal shavings into the transmission fluid and completely damaged the entire transmission. The entire transmiss... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
I am a [XXX] and owner of a 2018 Buick Enclave that suffered a catastrophic transmission failure which nearly killed me and my child. On Friday, [XXX], while driving westbound on [XXX] from Edison, NJ to my home in Easton, PA, my vehicle suddenly and without warning came to a complete halt in the fast lane. A driver tailgating me swerved at the last second to avoid impact. Moments later, when I tr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The recall is showing complete in May 2025 but oil and filter plus new oil cap not changed or replaced. I bought the truck on June 25, 2025 from Enterprise Car Sales and was not informed about the engine of this truck was on a recall lised but have been completed. I feel unsafe driving this truck now.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Pelc Tire of Fairhope Alabama identified a crack that has formed between the tread and the sidewall that traverses the circumference of the entire tire on all four tires. They said this is a safety hazard to me and that these tires are very new to have formed this crack. They recommended replacement. The tire dealer I purchased the tire at is in San Diego CA. There has not been an accident or ... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2025
The driver’s side door will not latch and the door cannot close. This is the same defect covered by Ford recalls 16S30 and 20S30, but my VIN was excluded. Ford CRC opened case number CXH05284452-Z8X6J1, but denied coverage. I have had to rent a vehicle while my car is unsafe to drive. This is a major safety hazard as the door can open while driving.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2025
The pre-collision Camera Stopped working. I was given a notice on my dashboard and had to repeat cancel 2 warnings that that indicated the front collision camera was no longer working. I brought it to G Stone Ford dealership in Vermont , which confirmed the camera had to be replaced. Because of the seriousness of the defective camera, I did have to have it replaced. I was concerned ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
I lease a 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E. On [XXX] the vehicle suddenly displayed a High-Voltage Battery Fault, Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power warning. The dealer replaced the High-Voltage Junction Box (HVJB), however I am unsure whether the actual root cause was ever identified. This failure shows a major defect in the high-voltage electrical system. Separately, my vehicle is also subject to R... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Headrest safety device deployed without a rear-end accident, while driving, did not hurt driver. Can not put headrest back into place scared driver
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The automatic transmission in my 2024 Nissan Titan PRO-4X intermittently malfunctions when slowing to a stop. As the vehicle decelerates to about 1–2 mph, there is a distinct “bump” or “lurch” as if the truck has been lightly rear-ended. The sensation occurs most often at traffic lights or rolling stops. •Component/system failed: Power Train – Automatic Transmission (9-speed). Vehic... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
the adaptive cruise control, collision warning, lane keep assist and other safety features have stopped working as indicated by errors displayed on dashboard. Suspect front camera is malfunctioning but has not been confirmed by independent service center. At first, this seemed to be an intermittent issue, but now the error messages appear every time the car is used.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The bearings went out on cylinder number 5. The engine is torn down at the present time at the dealership. There was no warning. It is our understanding that other 3.5 l engines have had this happen. Our vehicle just wasn’t included in this recall. I think the recall needs expanded.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
The contact was driving a company-owned 2017 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, another driver merging onto the highway attempted to cross multiple lanes of traffic, misjudged, and collided with the front passenger-side fender of the contact’s vehicle. As a result, the contact’s vehicle struck the left shoulder barrier, became airborne, and overturned three times ... Read more
Crash
1 injured