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: Nov 12, 2023
Another complain for investigation PE 23-011. First car was DOA, second had an exploding pop sound and no longer charges, car is no longer usable, only 200 miles.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The bolts holding the muffler to the exhaust pipe sheered off. After speaking with multiple dealers it is a known problem using a smaller bolt in the new body model Ram 1500 DT. The smaller bolt can’t handle the heating/cooling and eventually snaps. But this generally occurs just outside of warranty time. With the undersized bolts used by the manufacturer this causes the exhaust pipe to hang fre... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the battery consistently failed, and the vehicle had stopped accelerating as needed. The vehicle became inoperable intermittently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Car shuts off while driving for no reason. Happens last time on the beltway. No check engine light or warning that it will cut off. Doesn’t happen at the mechanics. No one knows why it happens. I see this is an ongoing issue for Genesis
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and extended to the floor while depressed. Additionally, the engine started to rev before the vehicle momentarily experienced unintended acceleration. The contact stated that the failure occurred for approximately 25 seconds before the brake pedal and engine operated n... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering was inoperable. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed power steering system. The contact was informed that th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The car shifts super hard into second gear. The inside smells like the car is over heating,driving down the interstate the car losses power,you can push your foot to the floor and nothing,the car will not excelerate at all.It's extremely dangerous. You have to pull over turn the car off and then on again to get it to go. This happens about every 20 minutes or so,the heat only works in the driver ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Twice in the past year I have experienced a loss of the ABS braking system. Warning messages appear to service the ABS braking system as well as a general braking system malfunction. This loss of ABS is intermittent. I have taken it to the dealer to have it fixed both times, and they have replace the hydraulic control unit and ABS module. Mechanic told me this is a very common problem with these t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
When ever playing music through loud or soft volumes I can hear a static sound coming from all speakers. The static like noise can be heard more your phone is connected through usb through apple/android car play on both usb connector ports. when using just bluetooth its not as noticeable but can sometimes still hear it. When using just the radio am/fm setting its not as present but you will get a ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
While driving the 2021 Audi Q8, the warning lights for the Electrical system malfunction & Automatic vehicle starting system: malfunction appeared on the dashboard. My safety and others safety were at risk as this occurred while driving. In reviewing other concerns or complaints this is a reported issue to the Audi dealership. Audi Grapevine Service was immediately notified. Service informed me to... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? My passenger-side rear tire blew out, while I was driving on I-85 in NC. I have a photo of the tire while it was on the rack at the AAA repair shop. The temperature was normal outside, and I did not see any debris in the road. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
I recently leased a Volvo XC60 and the Camera system is not working at night time. During the daytime the Camera is working and able to capture images….At nighttime, the camera is not able to “see” and the images on the onboard screen are all dark. I have a Volvo XC90 VIN: YV4A22PK4M1765940 with a backup camera and it works at night time and is able to capture images at night time and th... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
When I had to use excessive pressure on brakes, I received a DTC and a messaged flashed on my display to service ABS system as well as TCS. I had the DTC read which showed C0020-01 ABS Pump Motor Control General Electrical. It was cleared but when I drove over a speed bump at my kids' school, the same message displays. The message has also displayed during wet weather and minor wheel spin (over wh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
I bought a BMW on November 3rd and within 48 hours on the 5th of November at 6:30 the engine seized while the car was driving when I took it to BMW they did a carfax on it, it said the car had 197,000 miles on it and the car was listed with 97,790 miles and the odometer still says 97,000 and the transmission is also slipping because it had 197,000 miles on it and the font headlights won't work.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Vehicle keeps having all warning lights and warning messages come on whenever the car starts. Warning lights maintain on constantly and has audible beeping to indicate the warnings. Vehicle would also put itself into park randomly at, as well as disengage collision and lane sensors while driving. Vehicle has been taken to the dealership, and has been reproduced by them, stating "we have never seen... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Two fire related safety recalls ZA3 (10/22/2022) and 13A (2/9/2023) have yet to be resolved due to a lack of parts from the manufacturer with no date available as to the availability of required parts.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Bmw had recalled the n20 engine for timing chain guides replacement up to year 2015. The original timing chain guides were orange in color but also found to an inferior part from manufacturer. Bmw had replaced the original guides to a white color as supposed to a better product. Now then my 2016 model 528xi not only has the original orange color chain guides or let's say inferior part from manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I sat in my Tacoma with my son we heard a loud noise and the sunroof spontaneously shattered. Looks like it burst outwards. and there was glass on the windshield. Could have been really dangerous if the sunshade wasn't closed and even more dangerous if we were driving the vehicle at the time.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond. After the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard, the vehicle responded. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who test drove the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
driving from Albuquerque NM to Farmington NM, in approximately 1 1/2 hours of driving on hwy 550, 4 lane divided highway, encountered no less than 12 hard shadow breaking events. in all instances there were no vehicles, animals or debris in front of the vehicle. It was a cloudless day, starting around 9am, clear no fog, temperature in the 40's. high risk of being hit if a car was following close... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
2018 Grand Cherokee....As you are aware of this already, the radio screen started delaminating and now the crystals are leaking out of he bottom of the screen. This in turn causes all the systems to go off and on at random, that can be controlled by the screen. All safety functions are now disabled due to this problem. Several attempts were made to contact the dealership and jeep customer care,... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
Rear window shattered on its own without warning. Vehicle was not moving. It apparently is a known issue and Honda has a bulletin regarding the issue. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear Window How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Glass shattered on its own Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brakes made an abnormally loud squeaking sound. The vehicle then lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Th... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
My car is a 2021 Tiguan. Car is burning oil and should not be.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while pulling into a bumpy parking space, the vehicle shuddered violently, unintendedly accelerated, and crashed into a stone wall. As a result, the hood of the vehicle was bent and the bumpers were damaged. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The contact was able to drive to an unknown dealer, where the ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle revved; however, the vehicle did not respond as needed and stalled. The contact pulled over and attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
On 10/21/2023 I went to turn on my car and shift it to drive when the shifter was unable to move. The shifter was stuck in park and could not move out of any other gear. Check engine light and power steering light were on. Additionally the following message showed up on the dash - "Service Electronic Stability" Several tow truckers were called and the vehicle was unable to be put into neutral... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V228000 (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 time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX equipped with Les Schwab Tires, Tire Line: Back Country Touring, Tire Size: 245/50/R20, DOT Number: UP76 DRW. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the front passenger’s side tire rolled over a plastic lane divider. The contact then heard air being released from the tire and immediately pulled over into a parking lot. The contact discovered side wall... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Please know we attempted to have our 2020 Lincoln Corsair inspected at an authorized Texas inspection Station and the Computer System would not allow an interface so we could not get the vehicle inspected . We then had to go to a Lincoln Dealer and they also had trouble with the computer system and were finally able to inspect the vehicle somehow, but not sure how they were able to finally inspect... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Driver side door hinge/weld breaks. The metal pops, makes a loud sound, door then has to be forced shut. Due to this the window and lock does not work. Driver side door broke first and now the passenger side door has done the same exact thing.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Driver side door hinge/weld breaks. The metal pops, makes a loud sound, door then has to be forced shut. Due to this the window and lock does not work. Driver side door broke first and now the passenger side door has done the same exact thing.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
I was traveling roughly 20 mph on a smooth road with no traffic just after 7:00AM . The temperature was in the 30’s (F) and it had snowed so I had the rear defrost setting on. The rear windshield spontaneously shattered, I was not underneath any trees and I did not locate any foreign objects in the trunk or near the rear of the vehicle. Luckily no one was in the back seat or they may have been s... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
I have been trying to get my vehicle with 17 k miles repaired since May 2023, and to date the parts, ABS Module and HCU pump are not available. Winter is fast approaching and my ABS light continues to flash also disabling the cruise control. The constant dinging is very annoying and driving the vehicle continues to be very aggravating. I have repeatedly contacted my local dealer and they continue ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My car will be driving down the road and all my lights will come on and go to fix the problem and they all come back on . I’ve had the car for two years and been in the shop majority of the time . First the front senor was bumped out so none of my safety equipment on the car did not work , all my lights where lit up and check engine was blinking and went to take to Honda dealership and they said... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
In approximately August 2021 the vehicle stopped operating at highway speeds. When the vehicle stopped operating, it caused the auto parking brake to engage as well as the engine to shut down. All steering was lost and it caused my vehicle to skid off the side of the roadway. since then, numerous other electronic failures have happened in the car even after multiple attempts for warranty service t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
After coming to a complete stop at a Stop Sign with the Honda Civil, my husband (he) started to accelerate, but he could only go up to about 20 mph in a 55-mile zone. Next, the car made a bump noise when his foot was on gas pedal. The car went about 100 feet before it started to slow down on a busy highway. The car was not going the speed limit because it couldn't pick up speed. Multiple cars a... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
"Service parking brake" "steering assist is reduced drive with care" comments showed up on screen…check engine light on, truck shaking/ vibrating completely as if wanting to turn off this all happened while driving on the road and randomly happened…please help..very Concerned
Incident date: Mar 20, 2015
On the October 28, 2023, at 2pm, I, was in the process of performing a backing maneuver into my driveway. As I was reversing, I suddenly felt a strong vibration and experienced an inability to move the vehicle further. I promptly exited the vehicle to inspect the situation. Upon examination, I observed that the issue was attributed to a complete failure of the Passenger Side (PS-R) lower control a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
Auxiliary transmission pump failure code - P0C2A. Accompanied by a very hard slam and lurch forward after a complete stop. Lurch and slam coward is very abrupt and when it first happened I believed it was a rear end collision.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
The flexible section of the exhaust coming from the engine that connects to the rigid sections of exhaust that contains the DPF components developed a hole in it. I reported that exhaust was smelled inside my cab and that sooty smoke could be seen coming up by my passenger side front window for almost a month. The Ram dealership told me the first two times I took it there that it was normal for re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
The flexible section of the exhaust coming from the engine that connects to the rigid sections of exhaust that contains the DPF components developed a hole in it. I reported that exhaust was smelled inside my cab and that sooty smoke could be seen coming up by my passenger side front window for almost a month. The Ram dealership told me the first two times I took it there that it was normal for re... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
At 70000 miles and around 9/1/2023, started to notice our brake stop suddenly steep down pedal when braking at 45mph or higher. Problem starts after fuel pump replacement recall completed by dealership August 2023. Check recall and campaign program, my vehicle VIN specifically not on the recall list for brake booster vacuum pump. I thinks Toyota HQ should take my vehicle into consideration since m... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2023
3 tires developed sidewall 'tears' . All were on the right side of the car , 2 had less than 25000 miles and one had less than 500 miles (it was a replacement that I bought from the Ford dealer). Two exploded at low speed. Tire size 285/45R 22 114H
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Center vehicle display intermittent issues. Will not respond, turns on back up camera while driving forward, fails to connect/respond to phone plugged in USB-C. Unable to change vehicle settings when malfunctioning. Unplug the phone and at times still displays as if it is plugged in. Other times music streamed using USB-C has static. Turning on and off the vehicle doesn’t fix. Intermittently Map... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Brakes squeaking, squealing and screeching. Replaced once at approximately 8k miles. Dealership ground down rotors twice, brakes replaced once. Tires are worn in the center. AWD GX, steering seems off and unstable. Brake pedal sounds and feels like a faulty spring inside. Pedal gets stuck when switching from gas to brake. Bounces back with spring feel and noise. At times it feels like I can’t co... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Brakes squeaking, squealing and screeching. Replaced once at approximately 8k miles. Dealership ground down rotors twice, brakes replaced once. Tires are worn in the center. AWD GX, steering seems off and unstable. Brake pedal sounds and feels like a faulty spring inside. Pedal gets stuck when switching from gas to brake. Bounces back with spring feel and noise. At times it feels like I can’t co... Read more