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: Jan 26, 2024
Many Tesla owners are experiencing this issue: "Front left (or right) safety restraint system fault. Service is required" message on screen Tesla service quoted $430 for a repair of a problem that shouldn't exit on a privately owned, non commercial low mileage (<50k in 5 years) vehicle. Tesla service refuses to do a recall or warranty repair. Comparison; we have a family Volvo with ~250k miles an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
Engine seized while driving down the highway. No warning, check engine, etc. indicators preceded the incident. Vehicle has <80,000 miles on the engine. I am the original owner.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
I have had to have this trim piece replaced twice by McMahon Ford in Norwalk ct. first time [XXX] and the second time [XXX]. Both times I have had to pay out of pocket. Therefore I do not understand why my vin number is not included here. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
I purchased the vehicle on [XXX] at 124 miles it died at parking lot and would not start, called dealer i bought from they were no help. I had vehicle towed to local chevy dealer Dyer and they pulled VIN and said it was in open recall something about fuel injection flow, they said it should have never left the lot or been sold so now i'm up the creek no truck and not sure where to go with problem.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
When my family and I were making an hour long drive to a hotel for the weekend, the check engine light came on briefly, and went off. On the way home, it came on once more and vehicle lost power and i thought it was going to stall but then it was fine. I thought it was from the cold weather but a few days later, the light came on and stayed on. I got P0001 & P000A codes on a reader. It's unsafe in... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
To whom this may concern The system that has failed is the power train, more specific the transmission/ clutches inside of transmission. This has put my safety at risk because the car will not want to pull out sometimes its very jumpy and hesitant. It loses its power and the transmission just slips in gear like it's in neutral but you van feel it slipping trying to go. I think it is ridiculous t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Suddenly brown smoke came out when I started a car and tried to roll down the window. My husband pulled out the controller which seems to be the cause of the smoke from the wire.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Jeep stoped running Towed to dealership Diagnostic shows recall fuel pump failure . Z 96/NHTSA-22V-767 I have dealership RO# 68945 Case # 88652766
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shut off independently. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that they could not diagnose the vehicle because the vehicle failed to start. The dealer informed the contact that an unknown wiring harness might need to be in... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Warning lights indicate ABS and slippery road assist not functioning intermittently.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Fleetwood Bounder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V351000 (Trailer Hitches) 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 50-55 MPH, the ABS, traction control, and brake warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted,... Read more
BUICK
LUCERNE
(2009) - SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Jan 22, 2024
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 50-55 MPH, the ABS, traction control, and brake warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted,... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
The truck developed a warning light for ABS / Stabilitrak needing to be serviced. Ram dealership replaced an ABS Pump, but the issue came right back. They are now saying it needs a new control module at great expense, but that they are unavailable currently. Delivery on the part has been pushed back continuously over the last 12 months, still no parts. This issue causes a regular intermittent digg... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
While driving 70mph on the highway my oil pressure light came on and I loss all power to my engine. I tried pressing the brakes and nothing happened. I lost ability to accelerate and then the brakes got hard and locked up so therefore lost ability to stop. I was able to coast off of an exit off the highway and had to try to not cause an accident until my car finally coasted to a stop. I had it tow... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted to first gear, and the vehicle abruptly decelerated, almost causing a crash. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was op... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
abs traction control light keeps beeping and coming on seems to be a issue with this year vehicle
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and driving through slush or snow on the ground, the traction control failed to operate as designed. The message to check all-wheel drive was displayed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V675000 (Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The upper oil pan is leaking and getting worse. Seems to be happening on all 6.7 motors.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Se me ha apagado varias veces al arrancar cuando me voy al trabajo . Y tengo que volverlo a encender . Siento el motor débil. El cuerpo electrónico del acelerador no anda bien. Cuando quiero acelerar rápido se me queda en stand by y hasta los 3 segundos responde el motor. Cuando estoy en un stop aplicando el freno se escucha el motor como que se quiere apagar y empieza a temblar la camioneta. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
At about 44,000 miles driving over 60-65 , going over a bump, or going around a curve at.a slower speed the jeep would violently shake, where you almost lose control. I took to the shop they replaced tie rod ends, drag link, track bar and that didn’t solve the issue they now replaced the something with steering and it’s better but still shakes a little when changing lanes. It is honestly the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. 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 a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact h... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
The check engine light came on. The vehicle attempts to stall when changing gears after a stop or deceleration and the engine shutters at speeds 65mph or greater. I am afraid the vehicle will stall if a fast acceleration is required such as moving onto a highway. A diagnostic was performed to confirm the engine is causing the "Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon Light."
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
Traction Control did not function when needed. I had my breaks and rotors replaced two days prior to the accident, which may have had an impact on the performance of the vehicle. Insurance representatives did look over the vehicle, as it is now in their possession. However, I do not feel as though they took the time to look into my concerns. There was no warnings on the Dash.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 17, 2015
We are experiencing an issue with the car seat where after we have put our child in the seat, buckled the straps and tightened them, my 2 year old daughter can then push the straps back out, completely loosening them. The straps will not stay tight.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2015
When I was driving the vehicle, the dash said low pressure oil turn car off. Not even enough time to find a place to pull over. It just shuts off. Had been going 55 instead of 35. I could’ve gotten rear-ended with it just shutting off talk to a Car repair shop and they said those are all starting to do that the rear main seal blowing out. They didn’t have a big enough hole in the intake and it... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
After driving the car for approximately 30 minutes at freeway speeds I exited the freeway at my off-ramp and being driving on Surface streets. Suddenly several alerts started appearing on the screen of my car. That was followed by the engine revving up and down on its own without me touching the accelerator. When I arrived at a stoplight the engine was idling but revving slightly up and down. When... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
Check Engine Light constantly comes on . Pedal position sensor is faulty. engine power reduced pops up
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
I was caught in a snowstorm, driving about 5 MPH. Suddenly, the vehicle swerved to the left and I lost complete control; the brakes locked up. The vehicle spun about 145° degrees before coming to a stop perpendicular to the road; subsequently rear-ended from behind. The moment was surreal; I’ve never felt closer to a life-threatening incident because I had ZERO CONTROL over the car: I was spare... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake pads. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. During the failure, the ABS warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
we purchased a new 2023 Audi q5 at the Audi dealer at Wesley Chapel. On October 3, we noticed a malfunctioning indicator light on the dashboard. We took the vehicle back to the dealer to fix the problem. One of the service agents told us, everything was good, just a software update. I also notified the problem to manufacturing company and still no solution. It has been 4 months since when the p... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Abs and tracking control lights come on and “service electronic brake system” when on, cruise control not functional and traction control off very dangerous as I did more research it is a very common occurrence for Dodge Ram truck 2017-2021 please help us
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Veloster. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
Please note that I am not the owner of this vehicle. I am a concerned citizen making this report in the public interest. My correct name and contact details are included with this submission. I have used a dummy USA address because your website does not accept entries from outside USA. There is nothing fraudulent about this despite what Elon Musk claims. This Tesla has just shown up in the junky... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The dashboard is sticky and melted down. Also has cracks from the heat.
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering assist and uphill assist warning light illuminated. Additionally, the Service Steering message was displayed. The contact stated the steering wheel was stiff and required extra effort to turn the steering wheel. The contact drove to the destination and parked the vehicle. The contact turned off... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a left or right turn, there was a squeaking sound coming from the front passenger’s side wheel. The sound occurred while driving over a bump in the roadway and while accelerating. The tire pressure sensor failure warning light had been illuminated. The contact learned of NHTSA Campa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light was flashing on and off. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the computer system was down. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the cylinder and the engine. The check engine warning light was... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2023
Both my back and front chassis are completely rusted through and it’s a complete screwed car. Looking online there is a recall on something like this but not for my model? All I see online is people talking about how they had to scrap their cars because of this issue. The salt and snow has ruined this car and so many people have complained to no avail.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
Car began shaking on acceleration and low speeds and wouldn't stop shaking until approx 40mph or above. Upon braking to take a right hand turn car died, just stopped accelerating even though all lights on and running. No response at all when pushing pedal to the floor. Would go in reverse but only very low speed. Replaced alternator. Seemed ok but 4 months later same exact problem happened and car... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My back door on the driver side does not open at all from inside or out but the window still works, and the passenger side front door only opens from the inside
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning, the screen displayed Emission System Failure and power might be reduced messages. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vapor canister needed to be replaced due to moisture inside the canister. The vehicle was not repaired. The... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
•Between my wife and I driving approximately 65-75 mph on 5-6 different occasions, with an initial complaint to Ford on [XXX], on I-17 in AZ and other AZ highways the steering wheel and the whole truck shook violently during a stretch of bumpy road or after hitting a pothole. Slowing down has been the only way to stop the wobbling and shaking which creates a precarious situation with semi-trucks... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Steering is making a squeaky noise. Went to Hyundai dealership and they confirmed steering coupler needs replacement. This is a manufacturer’s fault. Driving is dangerous as steering gets free sometimes while driving.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
There have been multiple instances of the car slowing or braking while passing other vehicles on the highway. In some cases the emergency BRAKE alert shows on the dashboard and the vehicle brakes on its own. In ALL cases there was no hazard or reason to slow or brake. This occurs often but intermittently. It has occurred in rain, night, day, sun, or other various atmospheric conditions and there s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Steering feel sticky while driving or at idle. I feel resistance while turning the wheel. At stop if I slowly turn the wheel you can definitely feel it being sticky. I have take the car to the dealership and as usual they told me it's normal. They are many many other people who have same complaint. There should be a recall.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
While driving, the oil warning light came on. I took the car to Firestone where they said the oil was very black, but it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was changed last. They changed the oil and the light went off, but after leaving, I made it barely a quarter of a mile when the engine light came on and the car began jerking. I was able to continue driving at a very low speed to pull over... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
Have had car for 8 months, just hit 70,000 miles and now need to replace my timing chain kit. Will cost 1,500 to 2,000 estimated.