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: Mar 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine over heated. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine due to coolant leak into the engine. The contact was informed ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The component that failed is the front passenger active headrest. It is available for inspection upon request. When the component failed, a few pieces of plastic/metal flew out of the headrest. One of the pieces hit me just above my right eye. I haven’t taken my vehicle to a service center as I will be in Alaska for the next 5 months. It has not been inspected yet. I have someone who can ta... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Panoramic moonroof exploded
Incident date: Apr 24, 2024
I was driving my van and out of nowhere it locked up and power steering malfunctioned. I was in NY at the time. Tried to get MB to help explain what was happening. Said they would send a Tech out. Found out they were going to send a tow truck and that was it. I had several pups on board and had to get them safe. So I figured out how to drive it with no power steering all the way back to Houston. W... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2024
While making a righthand turn at approximately 10-15 mph, my passenger side front wheel failed at the ball joint and collapsed. Reviewing the carfax, this is the 2nd time this has happened to this vehicle (the first was on the driver side wheel). I noticed Safety Recall Report 21V-718 seems to describe the issue I'm facing with the "front upper control arm experiencing accelerated wear... leading ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 20, 2024
While making a righthand turn at approximately 10-15 mph, my passenger side front wheel failed at the ball joint and collapsed. Reviewing the carfax, this is the 2nd time this has happened to this vehicle (the first was on the driver side wheel). I noticed Safety Recall Report 21V-718 seems to describe the issue I'm facing with the "front upper control arm experiencing accelerated wear... leading ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 20, 2024
Parking/emergency brake has become unattached and no longer functions. It is a manual transmission and the parking brake is required to keep the vehicle from possibly rolling once parked.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Low oil pressure sensor came on., Took car to get oil changed thinking that would be a quick fix. The car continue to drive rough making a loud knocking sound. Checking engine light, oil light and tool bar light were now on. Took it back to mechanic they said I had 2 camshaft sensors that need replaced. Got the sensors replaced , car did not seem any better. Took it back to mechanic and as I was d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Low oil pressure sensor came on., Took car to get oil changed thinking that would be a quick fix. The car continue to drive rough making a loud knocking sound. Checking engine light, oil light and tool bar light were now on. Took it back to mechanic they said I had 2 camshaft sensors that need replaced. Got the sensors replaced , car did not seem any better. Took it back to mechanic and as I was d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E. While the contact's husband was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the front undercarriage cover became loosened, and the contact's husband felt a vibration coming from the lower front passenger's side of the vehicle. The vibration increased and the vehicle was pulled into a parking lot, where it was observed that the cover was dragging on the ground. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Hi I owned JOURNEY 2015 since 2 years all of sudden I noticed some fluids red colour under the HOOD leaking drastically so I parked the vehicle at my Driveway I came to know from my neighbours that they have a recall on there JOURNEY 2014 v4
Incident date: Apr 21, 2024
The dash warning light appeared referring to a possible problem with the airbags. I took vehicle to the local dealer and I was informed after their inspection that I did have a problem the passenger airbag. They said they would need to replace passenger seat airbag and wiring harness associated with that device.
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
The steering as getting harder and harder to turn. I checked the steering rack and it was clean but the U joint had completely rusted. I lubricated it and the steering improved. After around a year, it happened again and I repeated it. They have an upgraded replacement part but are not recalling the defective original. Can you help?
Incident date: Apr 20, 2024
Unknown
Crash
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
My service engine light came on. After that happened, my engine started to get hot. It got up to 230degF, received a reduced propulsion message and wanted to shut down when going 70mph on the interstate (depended on the construction). Quick reaction on my side before the engine shut down I had "held" the battery (which i do for long trips to ensure options in event of emergencies). Meaning i s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The windshield on the car has some severe warping that distorts the view of the driver. It causes optical illusions and dizziness. The dealer thus far refuses to fix the issue. The issue can be easily researched and it's easy to find others complaining of the issue.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The roof seals failed, water poured into the rear of the car in cargo space, and filled spare tire wheel well without warning. We had noticed a sour, moldy smell prior to that, and began to show allergy symptoms, necessitating medication. Dealer was made aware.They tested roof and resealed it. The roof was glued on at manufacturer… not riveted or secured in any other way. It is the fault of... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
While driving in the city a warning came up on the dash stating "Supplemental restraint system problem. See your dealer." and the red seat belt/air bag symbol turned on and remained on for the remainder of the drive home (about 45 min at variable speed). As soon as I got home I turned the car off and back on and the warnings disappeared. I drove the vehicle for another 30 minutes and the warnings ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Vehicle Purchased June 2023 at 1100 miles noticed a loud ticking noise , brought to dealer. Had to do repairs at top part of engine for timing chain guides not lubed correctly. brought back 1000 miles after due to a ticking noise ( ford says typewriter tick normal after oil change ) Vehicle has 2,477 miles on it with a very loud ticking noise and ford says no fix " NORMAL " been to two dealers ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2023
This is a continuation complaint with national cemter for dispute settlement to fix safty issues and discontinued parts. The car is not 40 years old and i cannot find a maintenance repair book. The power door locks are coming on and off and the fob key do not work Sutton acuta in macon said it needs the antenna but the antenna is discontinued. The navigation system doesn't work because the 6 cham... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
While driving either straight or turning the vehicle seems to "stick" even the tiniest bit. When turning it feels as if the tires are stuck or while driving straight, maintaining a straight line can be complicated by the steering feeling as if it is stuck. Even the tiniest bit of movement in the steering is a jerking motion rather than fluid movement. It is a very scary and dangerous feeling whi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
On [XXX] at approx. 9:30PM I was traveling on [XXX] in Garland, TX, at 70mph when my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power, with speed immediately dropping to about 35-40mph. Cluster showed prompts saying 1) cannot use selected gear at this speed (light under "D" was flashing), 2) pre-collision not available; 3) Airbags sensor bad; 4) power-train warning; and, several others before telling me... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
Sudden downshift with Vehicle Transmission causing vehicle to come to an unexpected stop. Vehicle can lock up wheels and become uncontrollable. Vehicle was taken in to Ford dealership and dealer technician verified the issue. Technician sent data to Ford. Dealer reported issue to Ford and Ford told dealer there is no fix. If this continues to happen an accident could occur.
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
Manufacturer has failed to address recall in a timely manner. It has been 2 months now with no update on safety recall remedy, and there is still no estimate time frame on when the remedy will be available. Vehicle is unsafe to use as brakes are not performing properly, there is extended stopping distance.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and shut off independently. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The A/C isn't working (AGAIN!) this time due to a leak in the A/C evaporator. The dealership just replaced the condensor 7 mos ago and now the evaporator is bad. Honda's whole A/C seems to be a problem for everyone.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
I was driving my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 2.4L, car won't start, I have oil pressure sensor to warn me when low doesn't alert me at all, only time is when I realized a beep when I made turns and would indicate oil pressure low! I can't get my car to stop and it stalled on me while driving with no indication of low oil, and I have two kids and could have been very bad, since no power no breaks ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
Operator reported that under braking, they lost all power assist to the brake pedal and brake pedal was extremely hard to push. This resulted in extended stopping distance and difficulty slowing the vehicle down. It was found that the vacuum pump had failed. We are a large utility fleet, and this issue has occurred a number of times to our Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon vehicles and we deem this... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
My cluster panel went dead and there was a recall for it but the first owner got it fixed and ford wouldn’t do it for me. I couldn’t afford to get it fixed and so it stayed dead. My car eventually broke down on me while driving because I was unable to read the transmission fault warning (because the cluster panel doesn’t work). I just had to buy a whole new transmission and ford is still ref... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500 Promaster. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and making an abnormally loud grinding noise. The contact’s husband stated that the ABS and ESC warning lights were illuminated. The contact's husband pulled over, turned the vehicle off, and had it towed to a dealer. The local dealer diagnosed and de... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while exiting a parking structure, the vehicle failed to accelerate, the steering column started to fail, and the vehicle began to make an abnormal sound coming from the front driver’s side. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed as having a shredded C-axle and transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Flex plate concern The ford edges are known for a cracked or broken flex plate which is dangerous to drive and unsafe to other vehicles on the road. How is this not a recall issue. I immediately brought the car to the shop as the noise was concerning and it didn’t seem like it should be driven. The shop determined it was the flex plate and said it was good I didn’t drive it as it is very unsa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
-3.5L turbo engine cam phaser rattle when starting. Yes - I do not believe safety is at risk -this is a common know problem per customer stratification program 21N03. When I contacted the dealer, they did not show this number so they did not look at it. -My vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. When I contacted the dealer, they hid not have the 21N03 in their system. -I do not think my safety... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
my vehicle has extremely bad death wobble, only 55 thousand miles on it. its a extreme safty hazard ! i just had my tires rotated and balanced and the problem is not any better ! once i hit 65 mph its shakes uncontrollably and i have to slow down to 40mph to get it to stop! that is extremely dangersous on a highway to be driving like this ! it has been like this since i got my car at 33,000 miles ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
All of the warning lights came up on my dash and stayed on for almost 24 hours on this most recent occasion of this problem indicating that there was all of the following: emissions systems problem, brake system problem, power steering system problem, VSA problem, hill start assist problem, adaptive cruise control, problem, road departure mitigation, and hill start assist problem. This was approx... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
The passenger side seat weight sensor assembly failed. It is available for inspection. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired by a certified Honda dealer. The airbag light stayed on beginning in December 2023. The SRS warning light came on in March 2024. This defect was subject to a recall of CRV’s manufactured from 2020 to 2022. We believe the 2019 vehicles were affected also and shoul... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V440000 (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 contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed during a rainstorm, he became aware that the sunroof was leaking, which could potentially lead to damages on the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the molding around the sunroof glass. The vehicle was not repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I stalled the vehicle then noticed a little later that my acceleration was greatly reduced. I could not get up to 20 mph with my accelerator pedal all the way pressed while in 3rd gear.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The lower portion of both headlights frosts on the inside of the lamp at temps below freezing. The frosting limits the projection of the beam at night. This problem must be corrected through a recall. GMC has a BULLETIN on this problem, but does not offer a fix.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he noticed fluid leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine short block. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
I was driving on the highway and the engine started shaking and slowing down and wouldn’t allow me to put power towards the vehicle. Had towed back to my house
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet availab... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
I have five of the American Expedition Vehicle (AEV) JK Pintler wheels for my 2013 Jeep Wrangler. Two of the five wheels have developed structural hairline cracks in the same location on each wheel. I am not driving the Jeep at this time since the risk of having a wheel structural failure is very high. I have notified American Expedition Vehicles but have had no response at this time.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
Vehicle often had a burning clutch smell after driving on interstate. This has been ongoing for a couple years now. Jeep has not issued any guidance or fix for this issue. The vehicle is unable to be sold.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
Bypass Coolant Valve failed. Engine Maintenance Required message came up on dash and the dealership said this is happening in multiple Toyota models and to save my receipts for possible recall. Getting is repaired today [XXX] for $1,042.00 at Toyota Dealership Service in Nicholasville, KY INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding soun... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
Purchased this car new from Crain Hyundai, Conway AR, on 4/1/2024. On 4/3 we called dealer because Bluelink reported 13 maintenance critical issues needed immediate service. Took the vehicle to dealer on 4/4. They worked on vehicle, said they fixed issue and notices would disappear over night. Issues did not, so 4/5 dealer had vehicle picked up, loaner left, and they would fix in 2 days. Issues st... Read more