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: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking from under the hood of the vehicle. The check engine, and electronic power control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel rail bolt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
Loss of drive power and rough idle. Intermittent no start due to voltage drop. Suspected shorted egr valve causing multiple parts on the same circut to go bad. Brought the car to dealer for the 6th time due to loss of power while driving and rough idle. Asked for a diagnostic of the egr valve due to matching symptoms to the egr recall of the 2024 venue which is the same part number installed in ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
First warning was the oil light came on and I became aware of a leak. When I took it to the mechanic the next day, he described a porous spot on the side of the cylinder head that had opened up and was rapidly losing oil when the engine was running. I understand that this is not a unique problem to my vehicle but is common with this model year. I am concerned that the engine will run out of oil... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
On Friday, September 13, 2024, without warning, the instrument panel that shows the speed of the car (and left and right turn signals), turned off and went black (blank), while I was driving my brand new Buick, Envista. It was less than three months old at the time. The car’s mileage was at about 1,000 miles. I did not know what speed my car was going, other than by watching cars around me. I di... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, the engine overheated, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the intake manifold had failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Power reduced to lower engine temperature message appeared on the dashboard. Stopped and saw coolant seemed empty. I filled it up to the max line. The next day it was empty again. It’s been 2 days and I filled it again today.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Once coming home, my airbag from steering wheel deployed. I did not get into an accident, just as i closed my door it went off. I worried about my safety especially because i have a baby. Any airbag could’ve gone off for no reason. I don’t feel safe in my car. After taking it to Viva Kia here in El Paso, they did not offer any inspections just a number to call. I was scared when they sent me o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
I purchased this car 1 year ago with 121,460 miles, within the first week I had to buy new tires and replace the wipers,now I have to replace the alternator all of this is within a year. I just got the estimate for the alternator which is over 700.00 which I don't have.
Incident date: May 15, 2023
white paint chipping fast
Incident date: May 15, 2023
On three seperate occasuions while going over small bumps in the road and braking at the same time, the car will automatically release the brakes and coast over the bumps. Each time I was apporaching stopped vehicles at stop lights. I was within inches of hitting them each time.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the hatchback ajar message was displayed. The contact attempted to raise the liftgate; however, the liftgate failed to raise up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the ABS warning light along with several other unknown warning lights. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and seized. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front wheel hubs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persiste... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the ABS warning light along with several other unknown warning lights. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and seized. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front wheel hubs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persiste... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Front suspension has a popping and creaking sound when driving and turning steering wheel. Safety issue as sounds something is loose but Tesla says no issue it’s the body flexing which is even scarier to hear the panels rattling if this is in fact true. Tesla will not do anything about it. Additionally the brakes and rotors squeal when pressed at slow speeds coming to full hard stop. Both fron... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
ABS brakes module. Failed at 60k miles and has been on back order for almost 2 years. So I have not had ABS brakes in almost 2 years now. Seems to be a major problem. I know of 5 people with the same issue.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
Kumho Crugen HP 71 101H 235 55 R19 Warranted Tire Life: 65,000 Miles Failed at: 32,000 Miles (estimated) 3 out of the 4 original tires failed on vehicle under 50% through normal life of tire. I DO Have Tires in my possession. • According to 2 different tire departments including Dealership in which car was purchased, 3 out of 4 original tires failed due to BROKEN BELTS. • A blowout can cause ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
Kumho Crugen HP 71 101H 235 55 R19 Warranted Tire Life: 65,000 Miles Failed at: 32,000 Miles (estimated) 3 out of the 4 original tires failed on vehicle under 50% through normal life of tire. I DO Have Tires in my possession. • According to 2 different tire departments including Dealership in which car was purchased, 3 out of 4 original tires failed due to BROKEN BELTS. • A blowout can cause ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while making a right turn, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that the "Power Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a misfire, and the contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
UNKNOWN Running lights and blinkers. Continually replace bulbs and either burn out black or just stop working. Possible wiring /electrical issues? Dashboard computer works at random. Ongoing for about a year. Last 3 months the dashboard lightning bolt light flashes along with the service engine light. it will lose power to move forward while in motion and at times loses steering power as well. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The transmission failed to shift out of first gear immediately as needed. The vehicle then lost motive power. The transmission warning light was illuminated, and the traction control message was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted. The ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
One of the bolts that attaches the electric motor to the front wheel (internal, under the vehicle) backed itself out. That seems really dangerous and I am hopeful the condition does not exist on the other wheels. I sent pictures to Rivian and they are taking the vehicle to their service center for further inspection.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
ABS Control Module failed and manufacture has not had a replacement available for at least a year and a half, they were supposed to be available March 2024 and that date has been pushed back every month. No one makes an aftermarket module either. Not having ABS on a Truck in Florida is very dangerous.
BUICK
ENCORE GX
(2024) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING
Sep 9, 2024
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and Hill Descent Assist message was displayed. The contact also stated that while in park(P), the speedometer intermittently fluctuated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the wheel speed sensor and the rear engine bearings were replaced. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
My children fell asleep in the car, I put the car in park but left it running with ac running while I was right outside of the car doing some things. After a certain amount of time (a few minutes) the car automatically shut everything off including the air conditioning. I hadn’t left the car unattended so I knew as soon as it turned off and my children were never in danger but I’m worried the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
I believe my vehicle is apart of a recall that affects the same vehicle Yr./Mk./Mdl. as mine. When my VIN was searched by the service department at the dealer (same manufacture) it said no recall. I was told that the recall was for the vehicles from a different assembly plant. My vehicle seams to be having the same affect/issues as described in the recall. Recall in reference: Recall Date: April... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
I believe my vehicle is apart of a recall that affects the same vehicle Yr./Mk./Mdl. as mine. When my VIN was searched by the service department at the dealer (same manufacture) it said no recall. I was told that the recall was for the vehicles from a different assembly plant. My vehicle seams to be having the same affect/issues as described in the recall. Recall in reference: Recall Date: April... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
Back window blew out due to faulty defrost system. I had to have it replaced , took 2 weeks because there are no inventory of those windows. Cost me $500 plus rental car fees and time
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The ABS module failure has caused all my dash boards lights to remain on making the lan assist and calibration impossible to complete. This needs to be investigated for all Honda accords from 2012 - 2018. I have had several mechanics say this should be recalled due to its occurrence. The other issue is the timing belt slips without any wrecks due to being poorly built.
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
My vehicle is started making a loud whining noise at around 78K miles whenever you accelerate between about 25-60mph. The dealer said that a new transmission is the only thing that would fix it. The cost of the transmission is 8K. The dealer said that Toyota ought to cover it, but I called and their initial answer is that they will not. This part should be recalled, there are multiple people onli... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the steering suddenly seized. The contact had to use an excessive amount of strength to maneuver the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the power steering regai... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Odometer: 50,379 Purchased used on April, 1 2024 Odometer: 47,027 Brought to dealer on 8/28/2024 for service. About two weeks ago we had a "Shift to Park" message is displayed on the DIC after the vehicle was placed in Park and shut off. Started it again and then put it in drive then back to park. Message went away. Then over the course of the next week this happened many more times to the point... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2024
Check engine light started blinking then a lot of knocking started from the engine. How it won’t stay started and the knocking it’s a lot louder. Someone told me sounds like the engine bearings
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Forward collision warning turns on about 20 seconds after the car starts. There was no accident or obstructions to the sensors, this apperas to just be equipment failure on a car with only 30k miles on it.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated and flew off. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle inspection. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Land Rover LR4. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bolts resulting in... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked and shifted hard on several occasions. The contact stated that the Pre-Collision Assist warning light was flashing. There was an abnormally loud sound detected. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 23-2123. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the sunroof glass exploded without impact, sending glass into the cabin of the vehicle. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the sunroof glass was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximat... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
I have not had any incident with this vehicle as of yet, but I bought it brand new a few months ago from Westgate motors in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s a brand new jeep. It only had 12 miles when we got it from the start it has bad steering and it steers all over the road while you’re driving it you can be driving it all of a sudden it’ll just start to switch lanes or something or getting... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the contact was informed that the subframe was significantly rusted. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH, she was losing control of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
On July 19, 2024, my ABS and TRAC Control light (Anti-Lock Brake Light) came on. I took my vehicle in to the Myrtle Beach Jeep Dealership in South Carolina and after a complete checkI was informed that C2200-ANS Module Internal will require replacement and the part was currently being re-engineered and was on backorder for at least thirty days. When even tried calling other dealerships and was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
On July 19, 2024, my ABS and TRAC Control light (Anti-Lock Brake Light) came on. I took my vehicle in to the Myrtle Beach Jeep Dealership in South Carolina and after a complete checkI was informed that C2200-ANS Module Internal will require replacement and the part was currently being re-engineered and was on backorder for at least thirty days. When even tried calling other dealerships and was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2024
Due to an extreme failure in the integrity of the OEM tires, the vehicle experienced violent shaking a speeds in excess of 45mph. The shaking resulted from the extreme unbalanced nature of the wheels due to displaced noise-isolating foam inside the tire. As these tires were installed when the new vehicle was purchased, there is a significant issue with the fact that none of the dealership service ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2024
Due to an extreme failure in the integrity of the OEM tires, the vehicle experienced violent shaking a speeds in excess of 45mph. The shaking resulted from the extreme unbalanced nature of the wheels due to displaced noise-isolating foam inside the tire. As these tires were installed when the new vehicle was purchased, there is a significant issue with the fact that none of the dealership service ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Buick Envision. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brakes failed to immediately activate while depressing the brake pedal. The contact attempted to steer the vehicle to prevent crashing into the vehicle in front and became aware that the vehicle had lost power steering functionality. The contact had to depress ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Please help. I have purchased my 2024 Honda Civic last year in 2023. I’ve had my Honda Civic for a year now. I recently noticed my steering wheel “sticky” as some other 2022-2024 Honda Civic owners have reported and stated on all media’s after researching. This mainly occurs to me after the car has warmed up and or its at its normal temperatures and driving. The steering wheel can feel som... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. While the contact was asleep, they were awoken by an abnormal burning smell. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the rear end of the vehicle had caught fire. A neighbor called the authorities and the fire department extinguished the fire. The fire department informed the contact that the fire was caused by an electrical wiring failure in the rear taill... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
When placing truck in reverse, the backup camera displays a blue screen.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
Defective Engine: Liquid leaking on to engine block causing engine to misfire. This is a known issue with ford for the 2018 ford edge.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
The car shuts off at random when coming out of autostop, the car will disable power steering when coming out of autostop to make turns making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. Coming out of autostop is typically when you are trying to go or make a turn. This has been an ongoing issue that happens often. The issues began around 60k miles.