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: Sep 14, 2023
The brakes don’t work well. The steering sucks And had death wobble.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X7. The contact stated that the second and third row seats are not latching. The seat folded down on the occupants. The "Seat not latching properly" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sensors were not working. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approxima... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
While picking my son up from religion my vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. Thankfully I was pulling into the church parking lot and was in no real danger. I tried to jump start the vehicle with no success, but did notice the insulation on the jumper cables had started to melt. Towed to mechanic and was told the alternator had failed, in turn fried the battery. He replaced both, but then di... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Was told Hyundai is having a problem with motors and it’s burning oil quickly. There are recalls for it but not for my model and year. And my mechanic told me I have the same problem. Hyundai should extend the recall for 2018 Tucsons
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, coolant was leaking into the engine cylinder. The vehicle was sputtering. The vehicle overheated and failed to restart. The "Engine Fault - Service Soon" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My wife and children we driving when smoke appeared from the engine area, the engine warning lights came on and the engine lost power, the cab filled with smoke from the vents as she got the truck to the side of the road and used one fire extinguisher that we had in the truck others came and helped extinguish with water as well as police and fire dept. A police report is filed as well as a ins... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My wife and children we driving when smoke appeared from the engine area, the engine warning lights came on and the engine lost power, the cab filled with smoke from the vents as she got the truck to the side of the road and used one fire extinguisher that we had in the truck others came and helped extinguish with water as well as police and fire dept. A police report is filed as well as a ins... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My wife and children we driving when smoke appeared from the engine area, the engine warning lights came on and the engine lost power, the cab filled with smoke from the vents as she got the truck to the side of the road and used one fire extinguisher that we had in the truck others came and helped extinguish with water as well as police and fire dept. A police report is filed as well as a ins... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 11, 2022
We took our first long-disance trip (Albuquerque NM to Arlington TX, round trip) in our 2022 Tesla Model 3 and experienced multiple (4-5) phantom braking episodes to and from Arlington when engaging adaptive cruise control or autopilot. The car had been driven 5,760 miles before the trip. There were no warnings before the braking. The car was travelling at 70-77 mph on interstate highways and sudd... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2023
On September 7th, 2023 while I was on the fastest lane driving to work in the morning on I 10 fwy, the car shut down without any prior warning. Couldn't even put it in neutral. Called 911 and a cop called the towing service to take the car out of the fwy. Mercedes Benz Ontario dealer diagnostics says it's due to a fuel pump failure. I see a same issue recall, but not for my model. Mercedes should ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2023
Car reported an engine restarter issue (with battery symbol) and recommended to contact the dealer. Car next shut down automatic restart system, and air conditioning stopped working. Within a short period of time (same day), the car listed a red battery symbol and advised to stop the car. After doing so and contacting the Audi roadside, the car was listing a series of issues on multiple symptoms w... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes and the steering column were inoperable. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull off to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the engine started smoking. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
Car shuts off error says check hybrid system
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
TFT failed 9/8/23 to respond to touch input. Can only be operated by bar controls. Terribly distracting. Other owners report similar failures. Screen is manufactured by Garmin for Honda.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
my rear entertainment does not show dvds playing however when I Insert a dvd I hear audio but the bluray rear entertainment appears to be stuck in loading setting and does not show a picture. Honda said there is a recall for this issue however My vehicle is not listing the recall. It is distracting to the driver and passengers causing stress.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 U-Dump Roll Off Trailer and Container. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the two barn doors on the container erroneously opened, causing the contents inside the container to fall out onto the roadway. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions, due to improperly welded barn door tangs that had fractured. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
I WAS SITTING AT A COMPLETE STOP FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES BEHIND A FATALITY ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY THEY HAD CLOSED WHILE OCCASIONALLY REMOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE TO INCH FORWARD A FEW FEET A BEST AND THEN STOP AGAIN NEVER TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN I REALIZED AT ONE POINT TRAFFIC BESIDE ME WAS MOVING, I THOUGHT, IT WAS MY RX 350 WHILE PRESSING BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE I A... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
While merging on to the freeway, while trying to achieve freeway speed, the Explorer lost all power for about 10 seconds. During that time, multiple error messages appeared on my dashboard. The messages included "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" and "See Manual". Several Error message were sent to my FordPass app. The messages include: 1."Service Engine Soon Warning - The powertrain control sys... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
Right side Rear axle Bolt sheared off. Dealers do not want to fix or cant fix the problem even thought there is a Customer Satisfaction Bulletin that Ford has put out to fix the vehicle. CSP 22B34 Bolt shear has been confirmed by 2 dealers and was told they could not do anything about it until there was a Recall. This has been happening to Hundreds to thousands of F150's. No warnings that it ha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a stop light, the vehicle started to shake. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that while operating the air conditioning system, hot air started to blow from the vents. The contact stated that she was concerned for her safety. The vehicle was taken to an independ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
Truck is showing service message "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service Anti-Lock Brake System". Service message comes and goes constantly, chiming and making cruise control unusable. Several times I have almost had a collision on the interstate because the vehicle will drop out of cruise control expectantly. I have researched the issue and the required replacement parts are on natio... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
Rear camera operates irregularly. Sometimes camera works and sometimes it doesn’t. When shifting into R, we never know if rear camera will work or not. This is a very unsafe condition as it limits our ability to view images behind us when backing up. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Camera has not been inspected by a service center due to cost of repair or replacement.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The passenger active restraint headrest exploded spontaneously. The vehicle was not in any accident. I happen to notice one morning that the headrest was deployed due to no known issue. Appears this has happened to numerous other people and not sure why this make/model issue has not come under a manufacturers safety recall.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
automobile just shut off on highway going 65 mph for no reason causing a hazard for me and other people on the road. automobile then failed to restart. automobile was then towed to the closest dealer.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving over a speed bump and depressing on the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to slow down as needed. The brake pedal went to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle slowed down. The contact was able to stop on the side of the road. The contact shut off an... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
The emergency braking system warning light came on while I was stopped in rush hour traffic. No collision. Light is coming on every time I drive the car. Fear of the system automatically stopping my vehicle while driving without cause. The dealership refused to test the sensors without me paying for the service. This first started showing up on 8/28/2023. The front sensors warning stating "... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The air in the car started blowing warm in 2021. I took it to the dealership and they said maybe a leak. They did a leak test and put something I. It to make it cold for a couple days. I’ve been having g the same complaint since. After looking online, I saw that it is a compressor issue. I had an oil change done last week and asked them to look at it. They said it was my compressor. The car is o... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Oct. 15, 2022 my RV awning randomly deployed and would not retract.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the headlights activated, the front driver’s and passenger’s side low-beam headlights intermittently failed to remain illuminated, making it difficult to see the roadway. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the HDM headl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and confirmed that the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several years ago. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was blue smoke coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the two turbo chargers were leaking and that there was oil in the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The car is shuttering/jerking upon takeoff. The vehicle has 120000 miles on it. The CVT transmissions were recalled in other models, but the same transmission is in the 2014 as well.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
When driving, ALL lights on the dash went on and vehicle safety features did not work- no cruise control, automatic breaking, automatic headlight adjustments, etc. We were over 500 miles from home and had the oil changed but it did not fix the problem. Had $72,000 miles on it, 4 years old. We had to drive home that distance to get it repaired over a 2-3 day period. No safety features were enabl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I am having problems with the steering rack. While driving straight, the front wheels shake. While turning, the steering wheel does not return to center and it feels like it sticks in place . This makes for some dangerous turning situations. The steering rack is still in the car and available for inspection. I took the car to the dealer and an independent shop when the problem was intermitten... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2021
Experiencing what’s known as the “death wobble.”
Incident date: Oct 21, 2021
Traveling at 35 MPH on local street --- Engine stalled without warning --- Steered to side of road --- Electric steering continued to offer assist until brought to stop --- Many amber warning lights --- Msg center instructed to shift to park and turn off ignition --- Vehicle set Electric Parking Brake without operator input --- Phoned for assist from local towing company -- Vehicle could not be mo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Engine Stalling Multiple Times while in Drive. After vehicle stalls, Engine Shuts off, multiple lights start flashing and beeping and Message States- 'Engine Off! Shift to P or N then start engine.' Engine will reengage after following display instructions. This creates a safety risk to driver and others behind driver when error occurs. 2 weeks prior to first failure, Engine light appeared, but ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Engine Stalling Multiple Times while in Drive. After vehicle stalls, Engine Shuts off, multiple lights start flashing and beeping and Message States- 'Engine Off! Shift to P or N then start engine.' Engine will reengage after following display instructions. This creates a safety risk to driver and others behind driver when error occurs. 2 weeks prior to first failure, Engine light appeared, but ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. There was an abnormal rumbling noise detected while the vehicle was in first gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, he smelled smoke emanating from the rear passenger seat. After a visual inspection, he observed a fire. The local fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police and fire report was filed, but no injuries were reported. The contact stated he sustained a nondescript fire-related injury to his ri... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
While driving to work today in fog, the vehicle auto headlights sensed enough light and turned off. Because it was foggy outside I did not feel safe only driving with DRLs on so I attempted to turn on the headlights using the touchscreen controls. The headlights would not turn on. I have video evidence of the headlights not responding to the touch controls and remaining off despite trying to turn ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
The steering nut for the handlebars of the motorcycle seem to have been overtightened. This causes a noticeable catch in the steering at low speeds, especially when making a turn from a stop. This causes unsafe handling characteristics in the motorcycle as it makes the operator oversteer in slow speed situations. Kawasaki has claimed that they do not know about this problem, although there hav... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while the gear shifter was shifted to drive the vehicle jolted forward violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repair... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric. The contact stated that the battery had discharged. The contact stated that the 12-volt battery and “Bring in for Service, and key not detected messages were displayed. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled on two occasions. The vehicle flickered, and the vanity lights dimmed and flickered.... Read more
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2005) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 28, 2023
Incident date: May 18, 2023
On occasion while driving several dashboard error lights will go on. These include ABS, Traction Control, electronic stability control, air bag and brake light. When these lights come on the power steering is typically lost and making it extremely difficult to steer the Jeep. It takes everything my wife to turn the steering wheel and get off the road. The brakes also tend to be applied which f... Read more
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2005) - STEERING
Aug 28, 2023
Incident date: May 18, 2023
On occasion while driving several dashboard error lights will go on. These include ABS, Traction Control, electronic stability control, air bag and brake light. When these lights come on the power steering is typically lost and making it extremely difficult to steer the Jeep. It takes everything my wife to turn the steering wheel and get off the road. The brakes also tend to be applied which f... Read more
BUICK
RENDEZVOUS
(2005) - ENGINE
Aug 28, 2023
Incident date: May 18, 2023
This is an ongoing issue that occurs every time we drive the vehicle. The vehicle’s engine control software appears to have an issue, whereby the engine severely hesitates when attempting to accelerate from a stop. It’s bad enough that we worry the engine will stall, and we will be struck by oncoming vehicles. The issue generally only occurs when the engine has not yet reached operating temper... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The Eyesight keeps disabling itself. And the infotainment system is not working properly. My car is at the dealership and they are telling me they are waiting for back up camera to come off backorder 10/3/23. This means my vehicle will have been at the dealership for repair a total of 45 days if backorder date is correct. I purchased this vehicle brand new 5/6/23. I have researched online and ther... Read more