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 21, 2024
Engine stalled (lost power) while driving on the interstate during rush hour traffic. I had to pull into emergency lane. This happened 3 times within an hour or so. We almost wrecked the car. Very scary and dangerous situation. I checked and there are no recalls with my VIN number. I’m not sure what to do now
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the driver's side rear sliding door failed to unlock while using the key fob, the door handle, or the door lock switch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,418.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was not starting properly with the check engine warning light illuminated. 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Dodge Durango. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V415000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Service Brakes, Air) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the iss... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
Power was lost completely while car was on the road, breaks stop working and unable to stop. Driver had to go off road to prevent collision and road a accident. Towed to Tesla center. Diagnosis is “internal short” but did not elaborate. No explanation and answer why break did not work. External damage due to accident was not covered.
Crash
Incident date: May 10, 2023
I am unsure of what to say about my car. I saw a check oil light flicker and it went away. The car had oil when I checked on it so it didn't seem to be a problem. There was no sign of leakage and no sign of burning oil or fuel. Several days later, the check oil light came on permanently. Before I could get the car anywhere, the car started making a strange sound. I took it to my usual shop. They ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
Since my purchase of my Rogue 2.5 years ago, it has randomly given a warning and braked out of nowhere. With no cars around, in front or behind, it was alarming. Since purchasing the car, this issue has occured, at least 15-20 random times, with the scariest being on the interstate. When the brakes slammed (out of my control) on the interstate, I was terrified a car behind me would rear end me. Lu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
We were traveling on a limited access highway at approximately 65 miles an hour. Both the adaptive cruise control and the driver assist were engaged. A car approximately four car lengths ahead of us exited the highway into the breakdown lane. My car slammed on its brakes and reduced speed to less than 40 miles an hour with no warning. Had there been a vehicle behind us we certainly would have been... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Golf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle due to the ABS and ESC warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Clutch System/Transmission Failure 1st Occurrence: Driving on the highway one evening at 65 mph in July of 2021. The engine began revving and the clutch was no longer functional. The engine would rev and there was no ability for me to accelerate. The vehicle decelerated placing myself at risk of getting rear ended or side swiped by other vehicles on the highway until coming to an eventual stop on... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while pulling the vehicle out of a parking lot, the front driver’s headrest deployed without an accident or impact. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
I have complained to Nissan that the dash in the car is literally melting. It started around 2014 when I noticed it was having a sticky texture and because of this it creates a glare in the windshield that makes it hard to see. Over the years it has only gotten worse and the dash is literally crumbling. I read online where they have had this issue before. I have tried to get help locally but I am ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
I keep getting a message on my dash saying ONLY EXIT VEHICLE IN “P” Position. Please Service Vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Bought this vehicle brand new in 2018 from Toyota dealer and took it to all scheduled maintenance intervals at Toyota dealerships, including the 50,000 mile service at 48,000 miles in 2024. At 48,800 miles began hearing a whining noise from the engine. Took it to dealer at 48,882 miles and was informed I would need a new transmission with a quoted repair price of $8,900 USD. Search of C-HR foru... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2024
Abs/vdc off/awd en el tablero
Incident date: May 26, 2024
Abs/vdc off/awd en el tablero
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
Steering has a “sticky” feeling. Similar to recall on 22-24 civics. Steering wheel will get stuck in a long turn and require extra force to correct back to center, leading to swerving into other lanes of traffic leading to accident/injuries. Seal in Steering Rack and Pinion fails, creating suction in a turn and leads to stuck steering. Problem confirmed by dealer on car with 63k miles, denied ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
Airbag light stays on but no safety recall issued on this 1999, only Taketa recalls starting in the year 2002
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Smog test failed California smog test due to the OBD 02 sensor (exhaust engine sensor) not being ready. Despite our efforts, including driving over 1000 miles and following Mercedes recommended drive cycle steps repeatedly, the issue persists. So far, we have contacted the Mercedes dealer several times, been told to drive the van around and given the Mercedes drive cycle instructions, but to no av... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Vehicle will not operate in accordance with manufacturer's statements. I can floor the accelerator and it will slowly creep up in speed but never get above 30 mph. I cannot operate this vehicle safely. Fisker has tried to repair it but has had no luck and have gone completely silent without returning emails. I have called the customer service line and have been discounted after two hours on hold. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. 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 contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Niro. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shuddering and failed to start. The battery charge was low. The HEV warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that a field expert would be determining the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
On numerous occasions when I am at a stop sign leaving work and trying to accelerate onto the 4 line highway my vehicle acceleration has a delay in it causing me to not properly accelerate into traffic almost causing me to get hit on numerous occasions. I have complained about this situation to the dealer and was told once that it was normal for the delay and once that it is just a V6 engine so th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
Vehicle failed to move forward or reverse from a stand still. Once vehicle is shutdown and restarted, the problem does not return. When vehicle was sent to dealer it couldn't be duplicated. If this issue occurs on the open road, it could cause a collision.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The brake pump in my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5 malfunctioned on 05/25/2024. My car had approximately 85,193 miles on the odometer when this occured. I was driving down the interstate on 05/25/2024 when I went to apply the brake pedal and it was completely stuck. I had to swerve into the grass on the side of the interstate to avoid collision. After I had the car towed home, I had a mechanic run ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
When placing the truck in first gear to control speeds on steep declines both on and off road the vehicle's RPMS will climb significantly and the truck will accelerate abruptly under it's own power until it reaches 21-25mph. At which point the RPM's come down and truck begins to slow as expected. Once truck reaches a speed of 11mph the RPM's begin to climb again and the truck accelerates(Not due... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The forward collision alarm was triggered when there was no collision. Additionally the ABS system and cruise control went offline. This occurred numerous times during winter while at a full stop as well as when driving between 45-55mph. Once triggered the collision alarm remained on for hours to days at a time. During that time cruise control was not able to be used and ABS was offline. Additi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
THE VEHICLE STOPS AT WILL WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES, IMADE IT TO THE NESSAN DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT THEY STARTED IT BUT ONCE I GOT ON THE INTERSTATE IT STOPPED ANDI I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. ON THE PANEL IT SAYS 'ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL"
Incident date: Apr 11, 2024
Passenger air bag has been recalled and replaced twice. Drivers air bag light has been on quite some time. Has it or will it be recalled?
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
Problems with brakes. poor braking . then warning sign should break pads worn at 12K miles. I have read many reports about similar defects for the new range rover. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 not exp... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2024
The touchscreen display is blinking intermittently. When putting the truck in reverse, the rear cross traffic and pedestrian warning system does not work properly, causing a dangerous scenario.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
FOURTH INCIDENT: On [XXX] 2024, at approximately [XXX], I was traveling about 40-mph and slowing for a stop light. Just before coming to a complete stop, at about 5-mph this vehicle suddenly shifted into park on its own. At the same time numerous & various warning prompts appeared on the screen and ALL the warning signs on the instrument cluster became illuminated. As with the three (3) previous ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
Hydrolic control unit and ABS module failure. Diagnosed by independent mechanic and confirmed common issue by the dealer. Cannot get the parts to fix.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
Timing Chain making noise...voltage fluctuations throughout all the car...cruise control will shut off if I got to use wipers or blinkers or even turn on the air system and lights will dim if you use power windows or have the radio up loud.
Incident date: May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2024
My car can no longer accelerate and multiple lights came on, this all happened while i was driving and there was no warning signs that my car was about to do that it just happened out of nowhere while I was driving it.Now I can’t drive my vehicle until it is repaired but the recall parts are still not available so I don’t know what to do to fix my car.
Incident date: May 15, 2023
I own 3 Chevy Cruze, a 2012, 2013 and 2016. They all partial power down or decelerate while driving. The local Chevy dealers has no recalls for this issue or any other for that matter. Please advise
Incident date: May 10, 2023
problem with car engine has been recall for several years, brakes have been recall for 2-3 years now my emissions are mess up from recall engine which now i do not have a car to drive, being a heart patient, veteran, it is hard without one and i can't afford a new one i have done all Maintenace and everything on my end to keep it going. engine eats oil, loses compression on road knocking had in sh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2023
I stopped at a stop sign and the car went into N without me changing anything. The car wouldnt go back to D or P mode even when I pressed the buttons. I had to turn off the car and turn it on again to make it function properlty. This happened twice within 5 mins.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2024
While approaching a red traffic signal at speed, I went to apply brakes and the brake pedal had no resistance and failed to slow the vehicle. Immediately several alarms sounded and lights illuminated on the dash board. I was able to slow the vehicle with repeated brake attempts and swiftly moving to the right turn lane where I could navigate a turn and come to a complete stop after coasting. Dashb... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
Pre collision assist warning, service advance track, 4 wheel drive fault all these codes showed up at the same time. Also the cheap fabric liners in the wheel wells are tearing under normal driving conditions
Incident date: May 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving approximately 60–65 MPH, the engine overheated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to coast off the roadway. The contact retrieved DTC code: P00OF (Turbo Charger and Boost Module). The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repair... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Reverse car went full throttle, brakes did not work, car stopped in reverse when it hit a tree. Seat belt did not tighten,
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound while starting and while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the grinding sound persisted after turning off the vehicle on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where unknown actuators located behind the dashboard were rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Water leak in trunk. Took car in 3 time to have it fixed after them doing the recall( 84279073 f-lamp kit). Every time it went in they found a leak in a different spot. 15Feb17 they found water leaking from right side of the spoiler retainer holes. Dealer removed spoiler applied double back tape and sealer. Reinstalled spoiler 02Mar17 found pin hole leak in weather strip. Dealer replaced weather... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
My 2020 Hyundai Palisade slipped into neutral while slowing down in traffic. Was able to quickly pull over, brake and put back into drive. Happened 3 more times while slowing down for turns on my way home. All happened under 15 mph and had a slight grinding sound when placed back into park, drive then accelerating. Plan to take it to the Hyundai dealership tomorrow, but scared to drive it!
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The onstart module stopped working, no internet or gps conection is working, also the emergency call system is disabled, Onstart systems is disabled due the telematic control module fault..
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
the Paint is starting to peel at top of windshield. I have the Snow White Pearl paint (SWP). At first it seemed like a simple spot (from small pebble) then continued to peel as if it were not properly painted at all.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the trim around the windshield had detached. Additionally, the trim was cracked. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). 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... Read more