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 20, 2024
This is about NHTSA Recall Number 23V-858. So far nothing had happened to my car, but I don't understand why Honda is being allowed to drag its heels in fixing this problem. They should not be allowed to build new cars until this very important safety problem is remedied. I am afraid to use my car for any trips since I may be stranded at any time or even get into an accident. NHTSA should be press... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The fuse pin melted into the wire harness. Kia is not recognizing this as a safety issue although they acknowledge that the melting pin could cause a fire.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
I keep getting an warning that my shifter needs to serviced. After much research, I've discovered that this is a known and common problem with Jeep Cherokees. It should absolutely be a safety recall and fixed at no cost to the customers.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the electronic power steering stopped functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact rela... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear power sliding window top track loosened, and the window almost detached. A local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Incident date: May 19, 2024
My ABS system has started going off and on intermittently but regularly. It turns my cruise control off and creates a hazardous situation with both traveling on interstate and when raining as I have no ABS.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2024
Often while trying to park, the car simply won't shut off or allow me to park. I have to shift the handle a bunch of times for the car to turn off.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2022
ABS light come on and the service antilock brake system light comes on and NO cruise control, happening all the time so NO ABS systems and in south dakota that is a big problem and no parts for 8 months now comes on when you hit a bump all the time 68 times driving 50 miles
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2006) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Jul 10, 2024
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
I have received multiple notifications over several months that read "Camera view restricted". This impacts the collision avoidance and adaptive highbeam assist functions. Dealer has offered no service recommendations.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); 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 manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was soft, and the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the failure might be related to the ABS module. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed tha... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My ABS system went out while under warranty. A couple years later now I'm getting ABS module warnings. Brakes are different and the cruise control is affected at times. Sounds like very common issue to certain Ram owners. We need a recall.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold starts, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
As you own the car for three years, my overhead panel on the roof of the car has attached itself from the car and is hanging in front of the rearview mirror by the cords. There’s also affected the GPS and electrical in the vehicle.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and there was smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact met her granddaughter on the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Azera. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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 contact attempted to make the dealer aware of the issue, however; was unable to contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
Went to Grand Prairie Ford in Grand Prairie Texas. The recall was for the sudden downshift to first from any speed. Recall # 24S37 for the 6R80 transmission. Service manager said to not get the recall done as it may have a negative impact on my transmission that would cause....a sudden downshift to first gear. They also did not like the fact that I got upset with them for suggesting not to get the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
If vehicle is parked in sun the front facing camera and laser located at the top of the windshield overheat then when the vehicle is started the overheated front facing camera is offline so the collision, lane depart/assist and auto dimming system will not boot so those safety features are offline and your screen with your instrument cluster is obstructed by warning messages. If you park in the sh... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
My wife was driving home from work, said brake is failing, makes loud grindy, rattling noise when brake is applied. Once the car is turn off and back on, everything is back to normal. When I got home, i took the wheels off to check everything was ok, pads were almost new, which I replaced last year. Drove around for 10 miles no problem. This is a serious safety issue which Nissan/Infiniti should t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
Over the past 4 months, this car's safety sensors have randomly activated on 4 different occasions. The car will suddenly brake when this occurs, which puts me and the other drivers around me at risk of crashing. Each time, I've taken it to a Hyundai dealership for repairs. They always claim they can't recreate the issue and don't fix anything. I've provided the dealer with pictures and videos... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
Over the past 4 months, this car's safety sensors have randomly activated on 4 different occasions. The car will suddenly brake when this occurs, which puts me and the other drivers around me at risk of crashing. Each time, I've taken it to a Hyundai dealership for repairs. They always claim they can't recreate the issue and don't fix anything. I've provided the dealer with pictures and videos... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2022
Between the transmission slipping since 30k, the engine knocking. The check engine flashing. I have changed the coil packs spark plugs, all filters and still nothing, the auto stop/start does not work it flashes Boggs out and loses power. The whole steering wheel and truck vibrates and shakes to a point you feel like you’re on an incline going up a roller coaster. I have replaced batteries 2x t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2022
When we started the engine, the awning deployed and almost injured one of us. We have already supposedly had this problem repaired due to a recall. Obviously it is still a danger to ourselves and others.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2022
When we started the engine, the awning deployed and almost injured one of us. We have already supposedly had this problem repaired due to a recall. Obviously it is still a danger to ourselves and others.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly without warning while driving 30 MPH. The contact stated that rear tires locked up due to the failure and the vehicle screeched and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle, and the vehicle resumed normal op... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
Upon starting the car, all warning lights came on as disabled for the ACC/LKAS system and could not be reset by the driver. Mechanic shop stated that the battery was dying, needed replaced then driven 50 miles for the ACC/LKAS system to reset. A few weeks later there was no change. Independent mechanic stated that the error code "U300049 Multipurpose Camera Unit Internal Electronic Failure" wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
Upon starting the car, all warning lights came on as disabled for the ACC/LKAS system and could not be reset by the driver. Mechanic shop stated that the battery was dying, needed replaced then driven 50 miles for the ACC/LKAS system to reset. A few weeks later there was no change. Independent mechanic stated that the error code "U300049 Multipurpose Camera Unit Internal Electronic Failure" wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized in the middle of the highway. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife and a nearby driver were able to guide the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact's wife raised the hood, and the contact became ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started, and the "Low Battery Power" message was displayed. The contact attempted to exit the vehicle but was unable to unlock the door with the key fob or manually. The contact's husband was able to open the driver's side door from outside the vehicle. A day later the vehicle was able to re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The SRS light comes on and once cleared/reset it will typically return after 2-4 trips. it was confirmed when the car when air bags were checked for recalls. This first appeared in 2018 with airbag recalls. It became a recurring issue in 2021 when after each reset it would return. The reset would last months and when the battery was drained it might reappear. In 2024 Jan. the reset and light retur... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2024
Vehicle stopped working while driving. It completely shut off even though I had 250 miles of range available. It looked up the rear wheels and came to a very harsh stop. It was immobilized and even with a hard reset it didn’t come back to life.
Incident date: May 11, 2024
My 2019 Ford Edge is at 90,000 miles. The RPMs between 2-3 have been stuttering any time I try to accelerate up to 40 mph and the car has been jumping as if trying to reach the next RPM. I took it to a Ford Dealership and they stated that it was an internal failure in my transmission (cause unknown) and that the transmission would need to be replaced for $10K.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2024
Understand my car is old but I also understand that there was a class action lawsuit I was not informed about regarding the door actuators the door locks on my vehicle I paid $300 plus to replace the front door actuator and now my back door driver side and back door passenger side door actuators are extremely loud and it is difficult to unlock the door if you're on the inside of the vehicle trying... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
Failure in all advanced driver systems at 7500 miles.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while starting the vehicle he noticed that the air conditioner was blowing hot air. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the evaporator core leaked in addition and Freon was leaking into the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the evaporator core an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The regenerative braking is not occurring once removing the foot from accelerator, when driving over uneven or bumpy surface. In fact the car accelerates on it's own which several times lead to collision.
Crash
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
Paint on top of the hood is peeling and causing rust. Upon talking to 2 different paint and body shops, I was informed they have had other Honda owners with pearl white paint come in for same issue. I took my car to local Honda dealership and they informed me there is no recall on this paint so they can’t do anything. However, when doing google search there have been numerous issues with Honda p... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
While driving truck on road at approximately 45 mph, truck suddenly and without warning shifted into first gear. After the sudden downshift, the truck then recovered normal shifting for the remainder of the drive. This is the third time this has happened in one year. The first time it happened, I was towing an empty small lawn trailer on a secondary road, with truck in "tow" mode. while descendin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
When driving veh wrench light came on veh jerks and drops down to first gear rpm and speed gauges go out for second had to pull over cut veh off and cut it back on to get it home this happened several times took it to the closes shop they said it the transmission speed sensor loosing connection with the computer.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
St235 80/R16 Today a tire under proper pressure blew traveling with a 30% load at 70mph. The tire split from the rim to the tread causing the tire and tread to fail. The trailer was less than a year old and around 5000 miles on the tires. Tires are checked for wear and proper inflation pressure with each trip. This is the second tire from this trailer that has failed. The first the belt fa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
St235 80/R16 Today a tire under proper pressure blew traveling with a 30% load at 70mph. The tire split from the rim to the tread causing the tire and tread to fail. The trailer was less than a year old and around 5000 miles on the tires. Tires are checked for wear and proper inflation pressure with each trip. This is the second tire from this trailer that has failed. The first the belt fa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
On [XXX] i was traveling on [XXX] coming home from Nashville, TN the cruise control was set at approx 75mph, my truck was in 10th gear. I suddenly heard a loud clunk , looked at the instrument cluster and the gear indicator showed i was in 3rd gear, I promptly pulled over and stopped to inspect for any type of damage. There was none so i proceeded to a nearby exit and gas station, put the truck i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
When the car is started, the radio screen sometimes stays off. When this happens, the only way to resolve it is to shut off the car, open the door, and then restart the car. This issue occurs randomly, and when it does, there is no rear-view camera available, which poses a significant safety risk. Without the camera, drivers cannot see if there is a child or obstacle behind them, increasing the ri... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
While waiting for notification that the remedy part was available for this car, it caught on fire. It caught on fire on 6/20/2024. The car is a total loss and it was a very dangerous situation.
Fire
Incident date: Jun 24, 2023
Within one month the same thing happened. I turn on the car and the eyesight warning light is on (eyesight feature disabled), flashing "S" drive is on, "break" light is on, and check engine light is on. Due to this cruise control isn't working. My plan was to take it to a mechanic/dealership that Monday. By Monday morning, after about 15 minutes of driving, all warning signs disappeared. This exac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Replace Shifter" was displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the message was no longer displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent while starting the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
2018 Honda Odyssey front camera failures. We bought it brand new and found out today that front multipurpose camera was not working properly. There are bunches of warning lights popped up on dashboard: LCC, LKAS… problems. I went to Google and Facebook to see there were so many people have the same problem particularly with this 2018 models. Dealership wanted $1800 to replace camera and they ... Read more