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: Dec 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster was inoperable. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving 60-65 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
The car was taken to the repair shop due to reduced speed and shaking. The repair shop mentioned that a bulletin for the car indicated that coolant could leak into the engine. They reported that the coolant had indeed leaked onto the engine, causing the gasket to blow. The dealer was contacted and was informed that it was an extended warranty of up to 84000/ 7 years. so I was referred to NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
90,000 miles engine blown. Chevy mechanic says there is metal in the oil.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Error code p0494 conducted upon check engine light coming on.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Error code p0494 conducted upon check engine light coming on.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
I was driving in busy traffic with no warning signs, no check engine lights when all of a sudden my engine lost power an would not restart. I had to get a tow from Kentucky to Michigan to a near by Mechanic where he ran a boroscope. The timing chain failed which then valves hit the pistons. I know this has been a big problem for this year equinox.
BUICK
REGAL TOURX
(2018) - POWER TRAIN
Dec 23, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
The vehicle has been occasionally stalling starting early 2024, maybe sooner. I had the fuel pump recall done recently. The vehicle is still stalling, and it seems to be getting worse. The stalling happens when driving at speed, even over 70+ mph. No warning lights. But rpms drop to almost zero for a few seconds and accelerator is unresponsive. Then it comes back after a few seconds. This is dang... Read more
BUICK
REGAL TOURX
(2018) - ENGINE
Dec 23, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
The vehicle has been occasionally stalling starting early 2024, maybe sooner. I had the fuel pump recall done recently. The vehicle is still stalling, and it seems to be getting worse. The stalling happens when driving at speed, even over 70+ mph. No warning lights. But rpms drop to almost zero for a few seconds and accelerator is unresponsive. Then it comes back after a few seconds. This is dang... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
I purchased all available packages which include pedestrian warning in rear and front, collision warning and automatic breaks, rear collision warning, etc… none of the systems have worked except for the parallel parking assist but now it is starting to malfunction and apply the breaks 100% while I am driving or parking causing near collisions and inability to to move my car while on the road. I ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
After a software update pushed by Tesla, the AP4 computer in my 2024 Tesla Model Y shorted out, causing a complete failure of all safety systems controlled by this computer. The following safety-critical and driver-assist features have become non-functional: 1.Cruise Control (adaptive or otherwise) 2.Forward Collision Warning 3.Lane Departure Warning 4.Lane Keeping Assistance 5.Blind Spot Warning ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
After a software update pushed by Tesla, the AP4 computer in my 2024 Tesla Model Y shorted out, causing a complete failure of all safety systems controlled by this computer. The following safety-critical and driver-assist features have become non-functional: 1.Cruise Control (adaptive or otherwise) 2.Forward Collision Warning 3.Lane Departure Warning 4.Lane Keeping Assistance 5.Blind Spot Warning ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufactur... Read more
BUICK
PARK AVENUE
(2003) - POWER TRAIN
Dec 18, 2024
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
Started my 2021 Grand Cherokee Jeep started to drive light on dash transmission service and my vehicle would not go over 35 had to get off highway and get towed .10pm on 12/18/2024
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
First: wiper motor stopped working, so it would not spray washer fluid to clean front or rear windows. Multiple people have had the same issue, only way to fix was replace Second: rear heat stopped working, dealership said we were the 5th tahoe in the last 2 weeks with the same issue. The "lines needed blown out" was what they said the fix was.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Took my 2018 chey volt to the dealer after trying to start the car and shifting into reverse a Action Required and shift to park massage appears. Towed the car to the Chevy dealership of on 11-19-2024 and on 12-17-2024 after the dealership has been talking with GM they tell me the car needs a new battery pack and there are none to be found. Car is still under GM warranty! Service adviser recommend... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
While sitting idle in the parking lot at work, I suddenly got a "engine off steering power low" warning on my vehicle. The check engine and power steering warning lights came on. I could no longer operate the vehicle. When trying to restart the vehicle, it started up but the entire vehicle began shaking and the engine shut off again. I have researched this problem on Toyota and Rav4 forums online,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact’s spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the link shaft bracket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The de... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding, causing the braking distance to be extended. There was no warning light illuminated. An independent mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence. The mechanic determined that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that when he stopped the vehicle and had shut the vehicle off but had left the vehicle in drive (D) and had not engaged the parking brake, the vehicle rolled forward. The contact stated that this was also occurring when he had stopped the vehicle, turned the vehicle off and placed it in reverse (R) without engaging the parking brake... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2024
I have less than 35k miles on my car and I have 5 warning that appeared out of no where. My car has never been in an accident and I take care of it. I searched on YouTube and apparently this is very common issue. It cost $3500 to fix and needs to be with a dealer. The 5 warnings are Issue with car 1) Lane keep problem assist, 2)auto-high beam problem, 3) road departure mitigation system, 4)adapti... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the driver's side door, the driver's side seat, and the ceiling had caught on fire and was burned; the windshield was also cracked. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. A Fire Department report was filed the following day and the Fire Department inspected the vehicle and... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
1. Other: Turn signal - when turning right with the signal activated, once you straighten the wheel, the turn signal stalk will reset to the middle but will activate the left turn signal. 2. Adaptive cruise control - For no reason the brakes will activate, there is no vehicle in front and the windshield is clean. 3. Blind spot warning - These BSW indicators will go off at random with no vehicles b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
1. Other: Turn signal - when turning right with the signal activated, once you straighten the wheel, the turn signal stalk will reset to the middle but will activate the left turn signal. 2. Adaptive cruise control - For no reason the brakes will activate, there is no vehicle in front and the windshield is clean. 3. Blind spot warning - These BSW indicators will go off at random with no vehicles b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V763000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 24V744000 (Steering); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer stated that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reaso... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2014
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2014
I have a 2019 Ford escape. I’ve replaced the lightbulbs on both sides several times. The housing has burned out several times not just the bulbs. Twice they have burned out at the same time. The 2019 and the 2017 have the same light fixtures. The 2017 headlights were recalled. I contend that my car should be covered under the recall. I’ve called two local Ford dealers both are familiar with my... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Within the first 30 miles of new vehicle purchase the instrument panel gave an error message with a picture of a tire and then the engine suddenly quit at about 50 mph in heavy traffic. My safety was put at risk as I was in the middle lane on a motorcycle that the engine quit with traffic behind me. Fortunately the car to my right slowed and allowed me to cut in front of it as I rolled off the r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
While I’m driving a turtle light randomly illuminates and the car shuts off. The car shuts off from a few seconds up to a minute so far. I have taken it to Kia McDonough Ga and to no avail nothing: they had my car 2 months and by the time they did the diagnostic “the computer box reset”. Why let it sit for a diagnostic when all they are doing is connecting to a computer. I provided them vide... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
2019 Tuscon with 70k miles.Engine failure, had to have vehicle towed to dealership. I have been without a vehicle for over a month and other than the dealership leaving me a message saying that my engine is seized, I have been completely ignored.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Speed Control, Engine and Transmission issues: After the recall from the manufacture was issued for the the acceleration problems this car still takes long to accelerate and get the car going. It feels like the transmission/ and or engine is ready to go out also and this car is only roughly at 80,000 miles. This car is well maintained.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Speed Control, Engine and Transmission issues: After the recall from the manufacture was issued for the the acceleration problems this car still takes long to accelerate and get the car going. It feels like the transmission/ and or engine is ready to go out also and this car is only roughly at 80,000 miles. This car is well maintained.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The Gear Shift Selector is stuck in Park. Being forced to use the manual override in order to drive, reverse or place car in neutral every time the car is being used. This is ridiculous!
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that oil changes needed to be performed more frequently than normal. The contact stated that the oil light remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
When the vehicle is in reverse and you are backing the emergency brake suddenly comes on practically giving you whiplash. This happens randomly and without any obstruction or reason for the emergency brake to come on. It has happened many times. This morning it slammed the emergency brake on 4 times in a row I didn't think I was going to be able to back up as it kept kicking the emergency brak... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
Unknown I have two urgent recall warnings on my vehicle and am unable to park near building structures according to the recall instructions.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
The instrument cluster does not illuminate when car starts. This happens periodically and randomly and there are numerous reports of this on the internet. Surprised this has not been reported here previously.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped on several occasions, the vehicle was idling rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that an undisclosed DTC code was reset however, approximately a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
I have been trying for 3 years to get the airbags replaced that have been recalled due to safety concerns with Buick Service East Side Madison WI at 5402 High Crossing Blvd for the last 3 years. They said I have to wait for a letter to come from the Manufacture, which has never come. I printed out a recall letter that said my exact vehicle has a safety issue with the airbags and are recalled. B... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
The hill hold assist on the MK8 VW GTI is overly aggressive, creating safety concerns. When starting on a hill, there is a 2-3 second delay where the car strongly holds the brakes, even after the brake light disengages. This could lead to rear-end collisions as following drivers might assume the car is moving. Additionally, in emergency situations, this delay prevents immediate forward movement, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
I have had a problem with the worm wheel steering box since I first purchased this vehicle. Being new to HONDA, I thought driving the vehicle was supposed to be rough and shaky. However, after some time, I knew it was not normal. I first reached out to HONDA in September and have consistently gotten the run around. I then made another appointment back in October to report it, then was told there w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
After hitting a small bump on the highway my steering violently vibrated and i had to pull to the side of the interstate over a bridge because I though I had a tire blow out. I almost got rear-ended due to slowing down form 70mph to a safe enough speed to pull over. After inspecting the tires I couldn't see anything wrong. The drove fine until i hit a similar bump on the way back. Once the vibrati... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
The thing died randomly and locked the steering wheel. Dealer can’t recreate the issue and said they cant fix it. I pay monthly on this thing that cant be fixed?
Incident date: Nov 29, 2024
The front struts has started leaking. I was searching about this issue and realized it is a very common problem that Pilots have. Even the car maintenance person also indicated that this was a common problem in2017 Honda Pilot. I am raising a complaint hence. Honda needs to fix this design flaw
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The car will be driving and it all of a sudden stops and has all the lights on the dashboard coming on. Every single warning light coming on the car comes to a stop and will not move. This has happened three times and the dealership tells me they don’t know what the issue is.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 2500. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, there was diesel fuel leaking from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that there was diesel fuel leaking from the fuel filter connected to the diesel fuel heater. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted but no assistance was offered. The contact was info... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
I remote started my truck and entered the vehicle with my girlfriend approximately 3mins after remote starting. We immediately smelled smoke that smelled like an electrical fire. I heard sizzling/static-like/electrical short sounds coming from back seat and when I looked back, I saw thick white smoke pouring out of the the small black plastic trim piece on the rear power sliding window that covers... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
I remote started my truck and entered the vehicle with my girlfriend approximately 3mins after remote starting. We immediately smelled smoke that smelled like an electrical fire. I heard sizzling/static-like/electrical short sounds coming from back seat and when I looked back, I saw thick white smoke pouring out of the the small black plastic trim piece on the rear power sliding window that covers... Read more