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: Feb 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds in the snow, the brake pedal was applied, but the vehicle slid and crashed into an unknown vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There was no reported fire or injuries. A police report was filed. The driver was able to drive away from the crash. The ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. During the failure, diesel fuel and oil spilled from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the strap that secured the fuel injectors had failed, causing the fuel injectors to eject from the engine. The contact was advise... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
We aren't sure what happened exactly. We drove the car 10 minutes from my house to my work, and it started smoking when she parked. The car eventually caught fire and was completely destroyed, including damage to the structure it was parked next to. USAA has the car currently. My safety was put at risk because the car spontaneously caught fire and burned itself, and nearly burned the structure... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
We aren't sure what happened exactly. We drove the car 10 minutes from my house to my work, and it started smoking when she parked. The car eventually caught fire and was completely destroyed, including damage to the structure it was parked next to. USAA has the car currently. My safety was put at risk because the car spontaneously caught fire and burned itself, and nearly burned the structure... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
Low beam head lights get increasingly dim while driving despite changing the bulbs multiple times. The headlights caused the lens to get a film which I removed with a lens restoration kit just for the lens to get back the same way within days. The bulbs are getting entirely too hot. Despite the lens the bulbs are so dim on a road without street lights or another cars headlights you CAN NOT SEE ANY... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
When driving down the road the truck shifter goes to neutral and says put in park and then back in drive. It already happened to me 3 different times . If your driving down the road and it throws it in neutral and there cars around there subject to hit you or you hit someone. Especially if you can't pull over right away.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
Without warning, giving vehicle low consistent pressure on gas pedal to move forward slowly (2-3mph) vehicle rpm jumped up then suddenly shifted and vehicle jerked forward in a school zone. Behavior continued and vehicle was ultimately towed.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The exterior door handle button on all 4 passenger doors becomes stuck and prevents the door latch from functioning properly when the door is closing as it fails to latch to the receiver mechanism on the door frame. This has occurred on both left and right rear passenger doors on my INEOS Grenadier and hundreds of others have reported this issue as well occurring with all 4 doors. On Saturday, [XX... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
The transmission failed which stemmed from the faulty (recently recalled valve body). General Motors has been contacted and there is no transmission in sight and is not able to provide an ETA. They are also not willing to cover the catastrophic failure because I am outside of my warranty terms. The dealership has inspected and concluded a whole new transmission is recommended. The vehicle has been... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
My car was bricked as a result of the OTA 2.2 update on [XXX]. This update was mandatory as it was what Fisker was doing to satisfy a recall. To try to remedy, I replaced the 12 v battery. I also followed online guides to get the High Voltage battery going again, as it was at 0%. I used a 25 amp and also a 40 amp 12 v charger attached to the battery, and this allowed the charge port to go to blue... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
NHTSA mandated water pump replacement for all of these vehicles. As there are no service centers for servicing these vehicles, there are only 20 certified service technicians in the entire country to provide this service. I have been unable to get service setup anywhere near my location by anything less than 150 miles away. I'm uncomfortable putting my vehicle on the road with the potential for b... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
I was using summon to pull my car forward out of the parking spot and when I let go of the button the car continue driving forward indefinitely until I chased it down and touch the door handle
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
My 2012 GMC Sierra falls under recall number 14V827000 Ignition lock activator by year, make and model, but not by the VIN number. I called the GMC 800 number and they indicated that the NHTSA issues the recalls not the manufacturer. I then called the NHTSA and they indicated that the manufacturer issues the recalls. I just need to have VIN number [XXX] added to recall number 14V827000. Thank yo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
On [XXX], we were driving on [XXX] from Wisconsin into Minnesota to park at MSP airport. Near the state border, we began to hear a clunk sound in the steering column. We chose to park the car at a friend's home near the airport in her garage in case we needed service upon our return from Texas where we travelling to. Prior to driving back to our home from Minneapolis on [XXX] (1.5 hours), we check... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 70 MPH, the electronic rear liftgate door erroneously opened. During the failure, the message "Power Liftgate Temporarily Unavailable" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was off... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2025
Frame Failure. 1/24 purchased new, on first trip(~1200mi) door side front cap vertical 1/2” gap between exterior wall and front cap, saw dust and movement at bedroom storage, bathroom door was catching due to movement, dealer repaired 3/21/24-5/17/24. 2nd trip(~2800mi) front cap shows separation, saw dust, filon warping, dealer reports 1/2” movement of pin box, dropped at dealer 11/25/24 as o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2025
The motor started to get hot dealership said it dumped coolant into the head of the engine and that its a know issue with this motor but it's not on the recall list why not
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
2016 nissan titan xd faulty number 8 injector this is the third time the trucks been to nissan for this issue the truck will drive fine then drops speed and starts to surge with knocking in the motor with service light making it a danger on the highway the truck is currently at nissan and it's been there going on a month
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
While driving on a county highway during an extreme cold front, the vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure due to low oil pressure. There was traffic that was impacted by this issue and the occupants (mother and child) were stranded in dangerous temps. This issue has been confirmed by a mechanic shop the vehicle was towed to. No warning from vehicle given, regular oil changes and vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
We experienced a large oil leak from the vehicle. Towing it to the dealer, we are told the oil feed pipe to the turbo charger part number 282402gta1 has failed spewing oil out of the turbo area. There are many recalls for similar parts on other Kia / Hyundai Models with 2.0T and 3.3 engine models. The dealer is telling me this is not covered by KIA. This is a safety concern of oil spewing from t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and was driven with manual steering. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that approximately four days after the first failure, the steering wheel failed to move. Additionally, the vehicle was losing oil and one qua... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
The component that is malfunctioning is the LCD dash screen that contains all of the dash indicators (Speed, RPM, gear indicator, etc.). The issue is that without warning, different colored lines flash across the screen. It is distracting and I am quite worried that if the screen goes out, I will not know how fast I am going, and I won't be able to see any of the dash indicators related to the sys... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
The cruze control shuts it's self off It said "ACC temporarily blocked, service required" this is very dangerous. The headlights don't project in the correct direction to have proper visibility. All the system error lights come on for no reason, seems like something is aways wrong according to the dash lights.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
When driving, my vehicle had a loss of power. The check engine light came on. My mechanic informed me that I needed a new engine. I had it towed to a Hyundai dealership. They also confirmed the engine needs to be replaced. According to the vin number my vehicle's engine is not one recalled, and yet the engine has failed. It is currently back at my original mechanic. I've been told a bolt came ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
Brake fluid began leaking onto the ABS actuator circuit board and created an electrical fire. This melted the engine harness and the connector to the abs module. This was confirmed by dealership technicians at Sewell Infiniti - Dallas. Dealership informed me they could not fix the vehicle because the part needed to replace (affected by a different recall), was discontinued and made me tow the ve... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
After driving vehicle and parking vehicle turn key off key will not turn all the way off to pull key out of ignition switch. The vehicle had 35,750 miles when brought to dealership I had told them this has happened multiple times I had to restart vehicle move vehicle shift vehicle manually or drive around block park again and then key would turn all the way off and come out, When I was contacted f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The evaporative emissions system failure involving the purge valve and vapor canister purge valve is a recurrent issue on this car and has been reported by hundreds if not thousand of bronco sport owners. All recall for 1.5L and I am sure the badlands have the same parks and is not included in the recall. less than 60,00o mile with a check engine light on. The safety issue that arises from thi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The evaporative emissions system failure involving the purge valve and vapor canister purge valve is a recurrent issue on this car and has been reported by hundreds if not thousand of bronco sport owners. All recall for 1.5L and I am sure the badlands have the same parks and is not included in the recall. less than 60,00o mile with a check engine light on. The safety issue that arises from thi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
After getting gas just outside of Pueblo Colorado on [XXX] I was entering [XXX] and luckily I was in the right lane when all of a sudden no power to the vehicle. I was able to make it by inches in the clear on the shoulder of the road. Being [XXX], I had trouble crawling over the console through the passenger side of the vehicle because I could not safely see the traffic on the interstate to ex... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
We were driving through a mountain range and the trailer brakes went out on Trailer. Had to us exhaust brake to slow trailer down and stop. We could have crashed putting my family of 4 at high risk as well as others on the road. This was an extremely scary trip with no trailer braking. Our inverter and battery switch caught fire during a camping trip 8/12/24. My family was put in harm's way with ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2025
We were driving through a mountain range and the trailer brakes went out on Trailer. Had to us exhaust brake to slow trailer down and stop. We could have crashed putting my family of 4 at high risk as well as others on the road. This was an extremely scary trip with no trailer braking. Our inverter and battery switch caught fire during a camping trip 8/12/24. My family was put in harm's way with ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Center multimedia display malfunctioning by ghost touching. Without using the commander switch, touch panel, or voice recognition, the screen will scroll through settings, apps, change radio stations, etc. Additionally, it will turn off maps in Apple Play when the program is in use. There are several complaints and examples of this issue online: [XXX] This concern needs to be addressed because i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V720000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Entire instrument cluster went out no gages speedometer warning lamps etc.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
Secondary water pump failure with coolant line leak causing engine to rapidly run out of coolant.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
Ill be driving and my car will whip me right off the road
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
Ill be driving and my car will whip me right off the road
Incident date: Jan 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V763000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was also informed by the dealer that the VIN was also included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2025
Turbo Charger failed while passing a semi-trailer truck causing a severe lack of power and almost causing a head on collision with on-coming traffic. I had 3 passengers at the time. The problem has been confirmed by a independent service center and I am getting a second opinion from a dealer on 2/3. The check engine light did come on when it happened. There were no symptoms prior to failure. I hav... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
When the vehicle is in reverse, the safety feature that is supposed to prevent you from hitting something mistakenly goes off when there is nothing there. It seizes the car and immediately causes the brakes to go off. The car will feel like it got in a crash. There is no way to un-release it and there is no way to change the settings to prevent it. It is a great safety feature that could really pr... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2025
At approximately 62,000 miles, a loud noise started from the passenger side of the engine, car was taken to the local Ford dealership for repairs, and it was determined that the bolts for the exhaust manifold broke which was causing fumes to enter the passenger compartment. Repairs were made at my cost of $6000, and calls were made to Ford Corporate for monetary help but they declined any help at ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
**DANGEROUS STALL OUT ISSUE** RAM 1500. Typically 2-4 minutes into driving on random mornings after warming truck up for 5-10 minutes, I go to give it gas and the engine stalls out in the middle of an intersection, sometimes with oncoming traffic. No check engine light at all. Autobrake engages. Put it in park and restart. No issues the rest of the day…until the next morning. Has happened multip... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
While driving down the interstate truck suddenly down shifted causing everyone in the vehicle to fly forward. I shifted truck to neutral and pulled to the side of the road. When I started the truck back up transmission would not shift out of 3rd gear and then went down to 1 st gear the truck and back to 3rd never getting out of 3rd and the wrench light came on. Took to the mechanic they said the l... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Heating & ventilation, I have lost heat in my truck, issues with fuel pump/filte where truck won’t start, and had the water pump had to be replace. I believe the majority of the things listed had recalls. What is included in the recalls and can a recall be replaced more than 1x?
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The car has “detected” a crash many times and automatically stopped even on the highway. It jerks and to slam on the brakes and then keeps going. It’s very dangerous and I have a strong theory it’s the model in general and not an isolated situation with my car.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
My dual clutch PowerShift transmission (DPS6) has experienced the common failure. High rpm’s and failure to shift properly, with no reverse gear at all anymore or overdrive. I was traveling at 65 mph and nearly crashed because of this.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
After shutting engine off, there is a gasoline smell coming from the vehicle. This repeatedly happens. I took the vehicle to the dealer who did a variety of tests but could not diagnose or fix the cause. The result is I cannot safely park the vehicle in my garage. I have requested that the complaint be sent to Toyota on January 15. No response or acknowledgment as yet.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Engine seized at approx 49000kms. Full engine replacement was done by wolfe cadillac. It had something to do with the engine rods.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufactur... Read more