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
Showing 28,307 complaints for BUICK
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
Missing frunk emergency release. This compartment is definitely large enough for a child to fit and be trapped in. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 401 mandates an interior release mechanism for enclosed trunks to prevent entrapment.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding unexpected and inappropriate automatic braking behavior at low speeds involving the parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, and/or automatic emergency braking system. While performing normal, low-speed maneuvers such as backing out of street parking spaces or parking in tight urban environments, the vehicle abruptly applies the brakes even when no i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
I lease a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe that has developed serious and unresolved safety issues. While driving at highway speeds, typically between 70 and 75 mph, the vehicle has repeatedly lost power and begun to decelerate on its own without driver input. When this occurs, I am unable to maintain speed with traffic, creating a dangerous condition and placing myself, my passengers, and other motor... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
I lease a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe that has developed serious and unresolved safety issues. While driving at highway speeds, typically between 70 and 75 mph, the vehicle has repeatedly lost power and begun to decelerate on its own without driver input. When this occurs, I am unable to maintain speed with traffic, creating a dangerous condition and placing myself, my passengers, and other motor... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine and several other warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle almost stalled and then lunged forward. The vehicle was driven back to the residence, and a local dealer was contacted. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was not yet d... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Took 2025 Silverado with a 6.2L engine to get oil changed and tire rotation done. Upon completion drove out of dealership and notice a weird noise coming from engine, then kind of disappeared. Drove home. Wife took car for gym then suppose to go to work. She called stating engine sounded really bad, like a lot of metal and metal screeching. Went to dealership, explained and they towed truck t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I was driving down the road and lost all control in the steering wheel. No power steering at all. A steering wheel with exclamation point light flashing on dash. Dealership quoting $4100 for this repair. I checked to see if there is any recalls and none for mine but many for models 2019 and above. It states "some" 2018 models. I would like to see if my repair qualifys for this recall. A costly re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My vehicle has 39800 miles (64k kms). I have the exact same issue with my driver side heated seat. The lowest setting may take time to warm up then gets scorching hot. Eventually after heating it up, I will turn it off manually to stop heating it, as it burns. My wife also mentions that the passenger side as well doesn’t seem to heat much. At this low of kms, I should not have this issue bu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2025
2008 MercedesE350 (W211) Driver’s seat heater, ~11:48am Location: Lidl Parking Lot, 2017 St. Joseph’s Dr., Bowie/Upper Marlboro, MD While I was sitting in the driver’s seat with my back fully against it, the seat heater burned through the leather on the left side of the seat. The cabin immediately filled with smoke. The burning stopped only after I turned off the seat‑heater button. I was ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Collision Mitigation Braking System automatically activated even there is no obstruction while driving.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Collision Mitigation Braking System automatically activated even there is no obstruction while driving.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
The coolant control valve has failed on two occasions—once during the warranty period and again approximately 18 months later, outside of warranty. Each failure resulted in continuous fan operation and fluctuating engine temperatures. Failed on around June 2024 and again December 17, 2025
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
The vehicle has low mileage, but the 3rd cylinder wall has a crack that is causing coolant to be leaked into the engine and therefore, the long block/engine needs to be immediately replaced. This is a major safety hazard which can cause the engine to stop at any time, even while driving on the highway, which a major safety issue and hazard. The certified mechanics say that the long block part was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
On [XXX], while using Full Self-Driving (FSD) to drive to a hospital in Oak Park, Illinois, the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration during the disengagement of FSD. As the vehicle approached the hospital area, I initiated disengagement of FSD to manually enter the parking area. During—or immediately after—the disengagement, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at full power without ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The vehicle experiences severe stalling and loss of power while driving. When attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitates, shakes violently, and will not accelerate beyond approximately 10–20 mph. The vehicle then stalls completely and shuts off. These failures occur both after the vehicle has been parked and while actively driving. When placed in drive, the vehicle shakes aggressively and s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The vehicle experiences severe stalling and loss of power while driving. When attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitates, shakes violently, and will not accelerate beyond approximately 10–20 mph. The vehicle then stalls completely and shuts off. These failures occur both after the vehicle has been parked and while actively driving. When placed in drive, the vehicle shakes aggressively and s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The vehicle experiences severe stalling and loss of power while driving. When attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitates, shakes violently, and will not accelerate beyond approximately 10–20 mph. The vehicle then stalls completely and shuts off. These failures occur both after the vehicle has been parked and while actively driving. When placed in drive, the vehicle shakes aggressively and s... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2020
Ever since I bought my car in July of 2025 cash I’ve been having issues. Shortly after purchasing my car began to stall , lose power repeatedly. I then took to southwest kia in Dallas they told me I had contaminated gas. They charged me $2,000 to clean my fuel lines , replace spark plugs & replace a fuel pressure sensor. Shortly after i got my car I had the same issues. I explained my concerns a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2020
Ever since I bought my car in July of 2025 cash I’ve been having issues. Shortly after purchasing my car began to stall , lose power repeatedly. I then took to southwest kia in Dallas they told me I had contaminated gas. They charged me $2,000 to clean my fuel lines , replace spark plugs & replace a fuel pressure sensor. Shortly after i got my car I had the same issues. I explained my concerns a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
My vehicle has a recall that says potential fire could occur yet there’s no solution for the recall. I think that is something that should be replaced immediately considering it’s 15 degrees outside and I have to run my heat in my vehicle.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
This is the 7th time my vehicle has been parked and over night killed a battery. It’s been replaced 3 times and this battery lasted 8 months and now my vehicle is dead again. Also you can’t lock your vehicle if the battery is completely dead.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
This is the 7th time my vehicle has been parked and over night killed a battery. It’s been replaced 3 times and this battery lasted 8 months and now my vehicle is dead again. Also you can’t lock your vehicle if the battery is completely dead.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz. The contact stated that while the daughter was turning right onto a curb to park and lifting her foot off the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into the rear of another parked Honda vehicle, pushing the Honda vehicle approximately eight feet during the impact. During the crash, the vehicle experienced sever... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
My Kia engine was replaced under recall. The replacement engine triggered P1326 KSDS failure while I was traveling overseas, placing the vehicle in limp mode. Kia USA refuses to assist or authorize diagnosis, leaving me stranded. This is a repeat recall-related safety failure, even though there is a Kia Dealership near me.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wagoneer. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the Automatic Parking Brake erroneously activated, and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact shifted to park(P) and restarted the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine Auto START/STOP message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the power steering and advanced traction control warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was very difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electroni... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V766000 (Engine) and 25V741000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to complete the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while having an Emission test performed on the vehicle to have the vehicle registered, the test discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. Upon purchase of the vehicle, the contact was provided a Carfax report that stated that the mileage was 103,000. The vehicle was a dealer sale purchased on November 23, 20... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); 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: Dec 11, 2024
Driving and something came from underneath the vehicle and cause me to swerve in all the airbags deployed
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
I am reporting an ongoing safety-related malfunction with the rear camera and infotainment system that occurs several times per week and has been reported to Polestar previously, without resolution. When shifting into reverse, the rear camera consistently fails to display. The screen shows a “Rear camera unavailable” message, followed by a blank screen. Attempting to resolve the issue by shif... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the front wheels. The 4-WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that upon further inspection, the second-row seat belt buckles failed to latch closed as intended unless excessive force was used, and the seat belt occasionally independently unlatched. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2025
[XXX] we were driving to San Francisco. Traffic was very light because of the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. We were about 1000 feet from the toll plaza, driving at 50-55 MPH. There was a car behind us about six car lengths back. There were no cars in front of us between us and the Toll Plaza. Nothing at all. There were no cars in lanes to our left nor right in our vicinity. Suddenly our car mad... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving through a bend in the road at 40 mph in the snow, the vehicle began to slide as they lost control. The contact ran over a road sign, which caused her to land in a ditch as the vehicle flipped onto its passenger side. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did suffer from ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
I took my Dodge Hornet to the dealership on October 1st for ongoing Apple CarPlay issues and the safety recall involving the center screen and camera system. I explained that the screen had been failing intermittently while driving, shutting off or freezing without warning, and that CarPlay had continued to malfunction despite bringing the vehicle in for this issue more than three separate times o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
There wasn't an incident yet. But there is a recall that has to do with the engine and i didnt want to drive it anymore now that nissan claims there is no remedy to the recall. There were loud noises the engine was making.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
Purchased Truck in 2019 - 2 weeks after purchase the truck gave a Code and started to stall while in motion. We took into dealership and they did a complete review. They discovered and documented the following: Removed transmission fluid pump and disassembled to inspect- found a large piece of manufacturing metal flashing - that got stuck in valve bore preventing full movement etc. we kept up on a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
Electrical board that controls the digital portion of the dashboard display fails in cold weather and (according to online discussion groups) appears to be progressively worse over time. My dashboard display is failing at temps below approx. 36 degrees Fahrenheit. The first failures were last winter (2024-25). The affected display includes odometer, fuel gauge, some service warnings/indicators, pl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Driving on the interstate with cruise control. All of a sudden the car braked (no one in front within eye shot) and cruise control stopped. I had to tap the brake manually then accelerator to get the car back under my control. Ever since then I get ACC, LKAS and other warnings when the car starts up. It seems like the front camera catastrophically failed while driving and almost caused the car to ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
1.The component that failed is the load index rating and both inner and outer sidewalls of the tire. Yes, the tires are available for inspection, they are off the car and stored in my garage. 2. I believe the safety of others and my self were at risk, I went for a tire rotation and saw the damage and asked the shop if tires were good and they said its good. Later my father points out this will ki... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
1.The component that failed is the load index rating and both inner and outer sidewalls of the tire. Yes, the tires are available for inspection, they are off the car and stored in my garage. 2. I believe the safety of others and my self were at risk, I went for a tire rotation and saw the damage and asked the shop if tires were good and they said its good. Later my father points out this will ki... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
In October 2025, the center display screen in my 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid began shutting off repeatedly while the vehicle was in motion. The screen controls essential functions including speed information, navigation, backup camera, safety alerts, and hybrid system data. When it shuts off, all of these features become unavailable without warning. The failure is intermittent and continues to reoc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond unless the brake pedal had been released for 2-3 seconds. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and releasing the brake pedal to reverse out of the driveway, the vehicle rolled back at a faster speed, and the vehicle failed to respo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
At around 47,000 miles (April 27, 2024) my car would not move when I put it in reverse to leave my house that day, the engine would just rev and it would not get into the reverse gear. Then warning light came on for the power train so I called the dealership and had it towed to their service department. They said they had to completely rebuild my transmission and it took them almost a month to c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the recall parts were not yet available, and that the dealer had been made aware of the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The daytime running lights (DRL) have failed in the passenger side. After some quick research, it's apparent that this is a widespread issue with the "Signature" halo lights in the Defender headlamp assembly. Reddit discussion: [XXX] ) Here is a Youtube video showing the issue and "fix". So many people have had this same issue that this guy figured out the problem: [XXX] ) The original warranty... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Fuel pump and fuel control module failed. Car will not stay running. Currently at GM dealership. Confirmed and repair cost about $500. No warning lights.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
Upon startup the following warning lights come on and remain active: Brake System Problem, Power Steering Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem, Anti-Lock Break System Problem. Additionally, intermittingly a loud grinding noise can be heard from the button of the vehicle.