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: Feb 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 BMW Z4. The contact stated that rodents had chewed through some electrical wiring in the vehicle. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact was unable to monitor the oil levels due to the damaged electrical wiring. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, where it was determined that the electrical wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2025
We were making a right through an intersection at a speed of 9MPH when the car in front of us hit their brakes unexpectedly. My 30 year old son was driving and felt like the brakes did not respond when he pressed them. My truck did not stop until it hit the car in front of us. It did start beeping just before impact and the dash lit up but the brakes didn’t engage until after impact.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2025
We were making a right through an intersection at a speed of 9MPH when the car in front of us hit their brakes unexpectedly. My 30 year old son was driving and felt like the brakes did not respond when he pressed them. My truck did not stop until it hit the car in front of us. It did start beeping just before impact and the dash lit up but the brakes didn’t engage until after impact.
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2025
This is an ongoing issue that I have brought to the NHTSA's attention before, which resulted in a special coverage program being issued; however, now GM is not willing to assist me with the special coverage program due to a branded title (used vehicle), and the condition is only getting worse. Tonight, on August 16th, my vehicle experienced a complete loss of power, including engine functionality ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
Manufacturer Recall Number C4B; NHTSA Recall Number 24V-896 Recall Status Incomplete, remedy not yet available This problem is over 2 years old and still incomplete; why is there no time limit for them to fix; they are pumping out new sales and new problems but nobody is accountable. Still warning light every time driven and nobody can tell us when it will be fixed...
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
My rear shocks have been corroding on the external resevior attached to the lower shock body and is rusting really bad in the exact place where the manufacturer of this vehicle says that it's breaking down ( rusting ) at. I called the dealership and the service department and they REALLY gave me the impression that they really don't want to repair my vehicle and is why I'm filling this report wit... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
connecting rod bearing failure confirmed by independent mechanic. No alerts or warning lights. Problem just showed up and engine started knocking on acceleration.
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
Alternator caught on fire
Fire
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
Truck first would shift out of park but would not engage into a gear causing it to roll unexpectedly in the downhill driveway. Problem self corrected with a few ignition cycles. Week later truck became inoperable at a stop light and require shut down and restart and traffic. Same day truck would not start at all after returning home. Dealer diagnosed 6r80 transmission with molded lead frame assemb... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Supplemental Airbag Warning Light solid red, does not go off. Occurred after oil change done at dealership 1/13/2025. Dealer found code B0020, recommended part 87650-3TD6G, seat back replacement, parts and labor for repairs $2,950.
Incident date: Aug 14, 2025
This car has oil consumption issues due to a manufacturer defect, design of the engine 2.4L. This has been on going for the last three years and is getting worse. Now is affecting the catalytic converter because of it burning so much oil. The Hyundai dealership will do nothing for me. Now they want $4,500 for a new catalytic converter. I can’t afford a new car and this should be an expense of Hy... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
This truck has shut down on me, put itself into park and set the ebrake numerous times. Twice it restarted right away, one time it died and would not restart because the battery was completely discharged. It have been in service 3 times, the 1st time no faults were found, the truck was in the shop for 2 months. The second time the vehicle was in the shop for 2 or 3 months and the etorque was repla... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Subject: Urgent Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2019 GMC Sierra Denali Escalating mechanical and electrical failures — many beginning before 100,000 miles, and continuing as of today, at approximately 110,000 miles. These issues have made the vehicle unreliable and unsafe to drive. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have had it serviced regularly and reported that it was driving rough, jerking into ge... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
Death Wobble. Steering wheel shook violently twice in one 25 mile trip. Once at 73 MPH and once at 65 MPH. Almost caused a crash due to being on a curve in the road when it occurred.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
sTEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR OBD CODE C0710-5A
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
Electrical System – Body Control Module The BCM in my 2017 Honda Pilot fails intermittently, causing the alarm to activate randomly, warning lights to flicker, and battery drain. The issue occurs without warning, even while parked or driving, creating distraction and reducing confidence in the vehicle’s safety. Numerous other owners have reported identical issues online and with NHTSA, indicat... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
Driving on highway at 70mph loss of power. Transmision slipping and vehicle rapidly lost speed creating a very hazardous situation. Was able to barley get of highway safely going down to 40mph. Vehicle went into limp mode.
Incident date: May 25, 2020
In February 2025, my jeep would flash a “Service Hybrid System” code that would last about 3-5 seconds and disappear. This happened about 4-5 times over the next few months, code would not stay up and vehicle seemed unaffected. On June 10, I was driving with son on a highway about 60 mph when my car completely shut off, no power to engine, no power steering- absolutely nothing. We experienc... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2025
Getting multiple messages like service advancetrac, pre collision assistance not available, and steering assist fault. Vehicle makes noice randomly when turning but not every time
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
For the middle row, right passenger seat, the seat belt alert (visual and audio alert) goes off even when the passenger is properly buckled in. It is intermittent. This is a safety issue as the alert keeps beeping throughout the journey. The beeping can be very distracting when driving due to the noise, and also as it raises concern of safety. My workaround is not to use that seat (an inconvenie... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2025
While driving at highway speeds almost a total loss of engine power occurred causing a safety issue. Five warning indicators lit at this time: Tire pressure monitoring system Malfunction indicator lamp (check engine) Vehicle stability assist warning Electric power steering warning This problem resulted in a Honda Dealer service replacement of the High Pressure Fuel Pump which cost me over $... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
I recently took my 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership after experiencing corrosion of the rear subframe. The dealership confirmed and is servicing the vehicle under an active recall notice that extended the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty from 4 years/50,000 miles to 20 years /unlimited miles. After removing the subframe for repair, they observed serious corr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
We were told we had a faulty master cylinder that needed to be replaced. The ABS, forward collision braking system, rear collision breaking system, and emergency brake were all at risk, which puts a significant risk to the passengers in the vehicle, including children. The problem was confirmed by the dealership with no information about timing of replacement since there is a national shortage o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
I was driving to work and the steering wheel just looked up and got really stiff and hard to control which was really dangerous. Prior to the I could just be sitting idle and the steering wheel would just start moving by itself out of nowhere.
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
On several occasions (>5) the engine had delayed starting after the auto engine stop feature engaged (when idling). After the engine didn’t start… we attempted to start by pressing start/stop button with no immediate response. Typical time to restart the engine is approximately 5-10 seconds. On one occasion it took 5 minutes. Apologize for lack of very specific information but when this occurs... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
My 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid experiences complete electrical failure - battery saving mode followed by total power loss. Ford has published Technical Service Bulletins SSM 49990 (NHTSA ID: MC-10199655-0001) and SSM 49574 (NHTSA ID: MC-10187983-0001) addressing this exact issue through ABS module programming. However, both my local Ford dealership and Ford Customer Service claim these documented TSBs... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
In early December my 2018 ram 2500 was giving error messages to service anti-lock braked and service Electronic brake system. On December 19, 2018 I took the Ram to the dealer and the cause was the HCU-ICU stating internal electrical failure. They installed a new (Control unit HCU - brake- anti-lock module. It was fine until October 2024 when the same errors (service Anti- lock brakes / Service e... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the windows rolled up, the contact was nauseated when he arrived at his destination. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of gasoline. The contact checked for leaks but found no signs of a leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the ve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the steering wheel seized. The traction control warning light and the power steering warning light was illuminated, and the message to “Contact Dealer for Service” was displayed. The vehicle was to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2025
While traveling on an interstate highway at highway speed (65-70 mph), a red turtle warning light came on with the message "Pull over Safely; vehicle will shut off soon." Almost immediately, we lost all power and glided into the right-hand shoulder. We narrowly missed being rear-ended. We got it to a local dealer, where the service department informed us we need a new transmission. The car has les... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
I went to the Kia dealership in Laredo Texas and was told that they cannot fix the fault, that my vehicle has had an aftermarket parts, that they are not going to fix the HECU. That they don't fix vehicle with aftermarket parts.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to battery failure. The contact attempted to open the hood of the vehicle to charge the battery; however, the hood failed to unlock. The contact stated that an unknown dealer had previously replaced the hood release due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to battery failure. The contact attempted to open the hood of the vehicle to charge the battery; however, the hood failed to unlock. The contact stated that an unknown dealer had previously replaced the hood release due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
While driving my 2017 Kia Optima (Theta II engine) at approximately 115,900 miles, I suddenly experienced engine failure. The vehicle began to stall and produced a burning smell shortly before the engine seized completely. I had the car towed to a Kia dealership, which confirmed an internal engine failure and noted that there were no signs of external oil leaks or neglect. The failure occurred onl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the engine. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed tha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
ting to formally report an ongoing and unresolved safety issue with my vehicle that poses a serious risk both to myself and others on the road. The core issue appears to involve high-voltage faults and CAN bus voltage exceeding threshold limits—likely tied to the vehicle’s telematics system. Despite this, the vehicle is currently not communicating properly, and the diagnostics data are incons... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
After having our car repaired per NHTSA recall 25V-282 we are still having issues with malfunctions of the backup camera system including warning messages that the camera is unavailable during attempts to drive in reverse.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failure of the battery and fuel pump. The contact was informed that the ground wire and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact about a recall on the malfunctioning ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
Rust! Frame completely rusted, even though the CRC was applied back in 2013.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
* Upon a significant partial front and complete side impact, the airbags failed to deploy. No front, side, curtain, etc... * The vehicle has been seen by the original tow company, the insurance assigned tow company (from original tow company to a body shop) and by the body shop personnel. * I believe the insurance adjuster has inspected, but I cannot confirm that at this time. * No prior warning l... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
The uconnect touchscreen had bubbling in upper left corner within the first year of being brand new. I didn't know at that time that it would lead to complete failure of the uconnect system which includes: the handsfree safety controls on steering wheel not functioning so no handsfree phone calls or messaging etc, black and unresponsive touchscreen, no navigation because screen and sound doesn't... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
I was driving one day and stopped at a stop light. I go to accelerate as the light changes, the vehicle moves forward a little then stops moving. The battery stayed on but it would no longer move or rev. So I was left stranded in the middle of the stop light. Thankfully a cop came by and helped me push to a safer spot. I then had to have the vehicle towed to the nearest pepBoys. After their initi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
On 7/20/2025 the following warnings were displayed: Brake System Warning Light (BRAKE), ABS Warning Light, Lane keep Assist Light is white, Automatic Emergency Braking Disabled light stayed on, Traction Control system (TCS) electronic stability control light stays on. Messages: Auto Hold Unavailable, Service Brake Assist, Service ESC, Service Stability Control: Your vehicle may be hard to control ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Bottom line: brakes failed to stop car on decline slope. Situation: driver depressed brake and hit start button. With brakes still depressed the driver put the car into gear. However, the gear jolted and the car began rolling forward. Driver attempted to press the brakes without any response. The car rolled to a stop without any control over braking or accelerating. Once stopped the driver put t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
On July 1 and July 27 when I started the vehicle a warning came on saying collision mitigation braking issue. See your dealer. It is available for inspection upon request. Will call dealer tomorrow. Not inspected yet. Will call dealership tomorrow. By info we are reading, there is no solution to this. Huge concern. Huge safety issue.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
Back up camera stops working intermittently.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
Back up camera stops working intermittently.