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: Jun 10, 2025
Driver side mirror changes position at start of vehicle for no reason. This makes for a very dangerous situation while driving as nitro has moved and is showing other than where it was set at.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The base of the car seat gets stuck while trying to rotate it, I also got unlock by itself twice while I was driving with the baby secured in it. Already spoke to the manufacturer and they said it was an on going problem with this car seat
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The base of the car seat gets stuck while trying to rotate it, I also got unlock by itself twice while I was driving with the baby secured in it. Already spoke to the manufacturer and they said it was an on going problem with this car seat
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
On Nov 22 I pulled over to the shoulder of a highway in the midst of a snowstorm to make a phone call. When I went to get back onto the highway, my vehicle lost all brakes...the brake pedal hit the floor...and I had a low-speed impact with a berm rising up to a driveway that intersected the shoulder. The vehicle had to be towed to a nearby dealer. The only mechanism to stop it on/off the tow tr... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My 2022 Kia Sorrento’s engine seized while stopped at a stop light. It is my understanding that this is a common issue with Kia vehicles. Kia is denying this being an issue with their engines despite the documented history of this problem. Since my engine has seized the problem can’t be reproduced on my specific vehicle. It is currently at a local dealership.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Oil leak and coolant leak took it to dealership while under warranty and they claimed no issues even though I saw the stains on my garage floor and had gear shift issues and black out info camera as well. Car under 70k miles and not end of warranty date but is the end of warranty mileage. Didn’t feel safe on the freeway, had power loss when it was time to restart the car and had smoke under the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Coolant Overheating" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
I purchased a 2016 Ford Fusion S new from the dealership in 2016. Earlier this year, multiple indicator lights turned on including "Service AdvanceTrac", ABS light, steering and hill assist lights. As time progressed, the Power Steering has become more of an issue to a point now that it is difficult to make tight turns going at low speed. I never received a recall notice, but when I did a search ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
The vehicle shifted itself to neutral when stopping at a red light. I had to shift the car back to drive. When I tried to pull off from the red light, the car nearly shut off. Just researching other similar incidents, the problem is related to the start/stop function.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
The vehicle requires an ABS module. I have been waiting for over 4 months for part availability. According to dealer they dont have any ETA on availability and have been told it may not be something they ever go back to producing. My state requires safety inspection which it will not pass due to this issue. Seems to me that someone needs to be responsible to make a part for these issues.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
Vehicle is in park but getting shift to park error
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under two unidentified NHTSA recalls; however, the recall repairs failed to prevent the failures from occurring. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to a stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal felt spongey and depressed to the floorboard. The check engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2025
Drove into parking lot and as I was pulling into the parking spot next to the building, the vehicle started to surge forward as if I had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. The sudden surge caused the vehicle to plow into a brick building causing about $10K damage to the vehicle and $5K to the building. This was not the first time this sudden surging occurred. It happened at least 3 times p... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Even though the dealership reports that safety recall 23V610 / SC280 for the mounting clip replacement was completed on 2/16/24, my rearview camera has just fell out of its housing, hanging by its wires, with the mounting clips laying broken in my driveway. My rearview camera is currently unusable; its taped up so that it is not just swinging by the wires. When I contacted my dealership, they are... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Even though the dealership reports that safety recall 23V610 / SC280 for the mounting clip replacement was completed on 2/16/24, my rearview camera has just fell out of its housing, hanging by its wires, with the mounting clips laying broken in my driveway. My rearview camera is currently unusable; its taped up so that it is not just swinging by the wires. When I contacted my dealership, they are... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X4. The contact stated while driving and making a right or a left turn, the front end of the vehicle shuddered significantly. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Service Brakes" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
This complaint concerns two separate incidents, both involving defective interior door handles. First, in 2023, the driver side driver door handle broke abruptly when the driver attempted to exit the vehicle. As a result, the driver, [XXX] , was trapped in the vehicle and required someone else to let him out from the outside. This was repaired privately at substantial cost to the owner. Then, th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to the park(P), the message "Vehicle not in Park" became displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that during the failure the vehicle rolled backwards. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise set at approximately 65-70 MPH and passing in the left lane, the accelerator pedal was depressed and there was an abnormal clunking sound while downshifting. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the “WRENCH” symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independen... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the message "restraint indicator lamp” was displayed. The contact’s daughter retracted the seat belt and reinserted the seat belt, but the message remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was noti... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the message "restraint indicator lamp” was displayed. The contact’s daughter retracted the seat belt and reinserted the seat belt, but the message remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was noti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
1- Most of the time my rear hatch will not close unless you use the inside button - cost 1,198.10 to repair. 2- my car started making a whining noise on acceleration. Took it Toyota and they said that I need to replace my transmission that it has an internal failure. Of course my warranty was of no use b/c it stopped at 100,000 miles. At the time of the inspection I was at 104,000. To get a n... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
Transmission loses power.Does not go foward after being in park. Have to turn off car and start it again making weird noise never heard before when it starts and when you turn it off. Has happened several times while driving.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The airbag light in the dashboard always stays lit. It has been worked on at the dealership multiple times and they get it to go out only for it to come back on. It’s concerning not knowing if there is a problem with the airbags itself. This has been on going for years. It started around when my car had 34000-35000 miles on it.
Incident date: May 30, 2025
My Ford Edge only has a little over 37,000 miles on it, it’s an 2020 model. Electronic throttle body went out. The car lost all power, when trying to mash the gas peddle , the power was decreasing, the engine was missing and running extremely ruff.I barely was able to get off to the side of the interstate safely. The brakes went out , my car issued 7 different power failures involving powertrain... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My check engine light has been on for some time . It will go off for a day and a half and then come back on . I was told by one garage that it was the catalytic converter. I have 99,339 miles on . It was tuned up and the light had gone off until the next day . Runs good and body is in great shape . I’m disappointed with this since it’s not covered ! And my lights are not working , the garage s... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to reverse(R) as needed. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that when the gear shifter was shifted to drive(D), the transmission downshifted unintendedly. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had fai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was violently shaking while cold starting the engine. The contact stated that the failure persisted, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a mechanic discovered coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to Technical Service Bul... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
Found metal shavings in oil after 13 visits to 3 different dealerships. Engine had to be replaced. Under 100,000 mikes with a service contract
Incident date: May 28, 2025
I am filing a complaint regarding ongoing and worsening issues with my Chevrolet vehicle, which appear to point to broader defects involving the engine and electrical systems. Months ago, while driving, the car suddenly lost power and displayed "Engine Power Reduced." I had to keep using it due to work needs. Over time, it hesitated more during acceleration and felt increasingly unsafe. When I fi... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started sputtering and then stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred a short while later. The contact stated that gasoline was added to the fuel tank allowing the vehicle to be driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an indepe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
Tires shake, grind and make a pulsing noise when trying to stop.
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2006) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
May 28, 2025
Incident date: May 14, 2025
When I was taking my Prologue in reverse and will slam on the brakes even when there is nothing behind me. It happens frequently nothing behind me. As others have reported here and elsewhere online, my Prologue emergency braking/collision detection system repeatedly activates when there is no danger of a collision. Backing out of my driveway I can expect that 40% of the time the car will slam on ... Read more
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2006) - STRUCTURE:BODY
May 28, 2025
Incident date: May 14, 2025
When I was taking my Prologue in reverse and will slam on the brakes even when there is nothing behind me. It happens frequently nothing behind me. As others have reported here and elsewhere online, my Prologue emergency braking/collision detection system repeatedly activates when there is no danger of a collision. Backing out of my driveway I can expect that 40% of the time the car will slam on ... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the check engine warning light was illuminated, the vehicle failed to unlock using the key fob, and the driver ... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
While idling, especially at red lights or in park, my 2019 Jeep Cherokee vibrates noticeably. This happens almost daily, and the vibrations are felt throughout the cabin, particularly through the steering wheel and seat, and has caused my phone to fall off its mount while driving. The issue has been consistent and now appears to interfere with the Auto Start-Stop feature. On several occasions, the... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2024
The vehicle caught fire and was completely destroyed. The fire was due to an electrical or battery system defect.
Fire
Incident date: May 22, 2024
The vehicle caught fire and was completely destroyed. The fire was due to an electrical or battery system defect.
Fire
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block. The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer for repairs. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was confir... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Infiniti QX56. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly stalled. Additionally, the contact became aware that the vehicle was experiencing inaccurate fuel gauge reading. The contact stated that the fuel gauge indicated that there was fuel in the vehicle while the fuel tank was empty. There was no warning light illuminated. No further inf... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
Despite having my powertrain control module "reprogrammed" in 2020 at a Ford dealership located in Bozeman, Montana, pursuant to the recall issued by Ford associated with sudden gear downshift in F150s (2011-2013), my vehicle is now (May 2025) exhibiting the symptoms associated with the failure of the output speed sensor and molded leadframe, related to this same recall. I have been driving at hig... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
9t65 auto transmission failed at 115,000 miles. It won't change past 3rd gear, and engine has reduced power. Towed it to the Chevy dealership where we bought it in York SC. They told me it needed a new transmission and it was not covered by any warranty. I then took it to a transmission repair place and was told it needed a new transmission and the cost was estimated at $7300. I've read lots ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
Faulty coolant bypass valve at 115,000 miles. Seems to be a repeat issue for many Toyota owners. Not covered by the powertrain warranty, but a known issue by the manufacturer.
Incident date: May 19, 2025
My Bolt has 87k miles and the steering sticks in various rotation spots. Accelerating doesn't affect the auto-straightening, as power steering should. I've been told to pull the boots back on the steering rack and regreasing the rack. My mechanic won't do this due to a safety. There are 100s of folks on Reddit experiencing the same issue. Some of these folks have less than 50k miles on their car... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
Spontaneous crack in the windshield without any external mechanixal force, such as rock, hale, or any other foreign body.
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The recall was for the battery size. This issues has been repaired by the Toyota Dealership 6969 Tyee Dr. SW Tumwater, Wa 98512 360 539-4000. Customer# [XXX] and invoice # [XXX]. I do not understand why I am getting notified of this recall from 2023 stating it has not been taken care of as of this date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: May 19, 2025
Vehicle was being driven by a driver service to be delivered to the home garage after production was completed at the manufacturer. During transit, the operator reported that the low fuel pressure warning light came on immediately followed by flames in the engine compartment.
Fire