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: Aug 13, 2025
When I purchased the motorcycle as a demo the front fender was loose from the fittings/placement. I repaired it and reported it to the BMW dealer. In the years that I have owned this motorcycle I have had to repair the same issue at least three times. I believe the dealer has also repaired it at least once after my complaint. Please see pictures attached. This is a serious safety issue as the Fen... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
There has not been a specific incident yet, but I am very concerned about the lack of lighting in the dark when our vehicle is in reverse. It is very difficult to see when backing up - either to the sides (making it difficult to tell where the edge of the road is), or directly behind (making it difficult to see if we are about to collide with an object or person). We contacted the dealer on 4/27/2... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2025
[XXX] is the VIN. AIRBAGS DID NIT DEPLOY I was driving 77 mph on i80 near [XXX] . Another vehicle, a Chevy Malibu, left the left lane of traffic and drove on the median. This driver over corrected when her speed was 83 mph. I hit her broadside (Tbone) in the b pillar dead center on the my front of my CRV. My airbags did not deploy. I received a broken sternum from hitting the steering wheel. US... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
I keep getting this warning "Action Required Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive With Care" . This warning has occurred randomly for several years. Recently, after getting this warning the check engine light came on and the engine temp gauge stopped indicating. I have seen a bulletin from GM that this condition is covered under a 'special warranty extension' for a single model year, but it is c... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after ... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The vehicle experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders related to the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The issue has been diagnosed as an internal engine failure requiring engine replacement. Symptoms included coolant loss, engine misfires, rough operation, white exhaust smoke, check engine warnings, and intermittent no-start conditions. The vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership and is avail... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
All of my display screens went blank at 108 miles. I had no speedometer, no fuel level gauge, no warning indicators, and no audio alerts including turn signals. The vehicle was towed to the dealership since it was a safety issue for me to drive. It has been there since November 2025.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The control unit in my 2024 Mercedes 2580e triggers an increased number of system resets as part of fallback behavior. The increased number of resets resulted in the digital instrument cluster's display temporarily cutting out, and I had an entirely blank cluster. It came back on only after I stopped the vehicle, locked it, and waited approximately one hour to restart the car. A recall was just i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
Compounded Electrical Failures In addition to the battery defect, this specific vehicle has exhibited recurring electrical malfunctions, including: Total failure of the backup cameras and parking sensors. Intermittent failure of the HVAC system (Air Conditioning), critical in the Florida climate. Erratic Autonomous Braking: The vehicle has repeatedly engaged emergency braking while reversing witho... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
After charging the vehicle. We reversed out of the parking stall. The vehicle braked really hard with no warning as if we hit something, but there was nothing for us to hit in the parking lot. The braking was so hard my body jerked! This is the second time the emergency braking engaged sudden. The first time a vehicle was near and the warning light did indicate vehicle but not close enough for t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
3 times now, I am driving and the vehicle goes into limp mode, the "D" on the dash is flashing but the vehicle sends no codes. The tech said the vehicle can immediately delete the code and they can't fix it if they can't duplicate it. It also hesitates when accelerating and is dangerous to myself, my 4 children and anyone driving around me when it goes into limp mode. There is no code, therefore t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The vehicle has engaged the automatic braking feature multiple times while in a parking garage and when in the middle of a four-way stop despite there being no cross traffic or moving vehicles around my vehicle. In two instances, there was a vehicle behind mine that the breaking could have led to me being rear-ended and in the case of the four-way stop, there were other vehicles waiting to cross t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subs... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
While driving on the freeway, the truck suddenly displayed a flashing check engine light along with multiple warning/error messages. I was able to limp the vehicle to the nearest mechanic, where they inspected it and confirmed catastrophic internal engine failure. Upon removing the oil pan, they found large copper-colored metal chunks and metallic glitter throughout the engine oil, indicating seve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
First and foremost, I am not arguing against, as I hold myself accountable for my choices. I understand the purpose of ignition interlock devices and support preventing impaired driving. However, the reality of rolling retests during heavy traffic, lane changes, merging, and freeway driving can create dangerous distracted-driving situations. Drivers are told to prioritize safe driving, yet missin... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
On at least 5 separate occasions the vehicle has slowed significantly and failed to downshift in order to accelerate. This has been accompanied by high transmission temps and power train warnings. In one instance the vehicle slowed to below 40 mph on an expressway with a speed limit of 70. Eventually the vehicle will downshift with a harsh and erratic shift which will then accelerate the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
I am reporting a recurring safety issue following the Acura rod bearing recall repair on my 2019 Acura MDX SH-AWD. The original recall resulted in catastrophic engine failure and Acura replaced the long block assembly. Since that repair, the vehicle has repeatedly failed and returned to the dealership multiple times for the same issue pattern. Symptoms include: * “Emissions System Problem” ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
On multiple occasions, this vehicle has initiated automated braking with no other vehicles in the immediate proximity. On 2 occasions, the automated braking has resulted in near misses of rear end collisions. This is an intermittently occurring fault that has become more frequent as of late. The vehicle has <100k on the odometer. The vehicle was taken to the local Honda dealer and their invest... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
On multiple occasions, this vehicle has initiated automated braking with no other vehicles in the immediate proximity. On 2 occasions, the automated braking has resulted in near misses of rear end collisions. This is an intermittently occurring fault that has become more frequent as of late. The vehicle has <100k on the odometer. The vehicle was taken to the local Honda dealer and their invest... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
My RWD motor completely went out and lost power on the highway off ramp. Could have turned into a dangerous situation. Not sure why these motors seem to be very unreliable. Tesla has not given me an explanation as to what is exactly causing this. Happens to thousands of owners. And this car is only 5 years old. I had the motor replaced in November 2022 and 3 years later it’s out for good. Now I ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
This Ford Escape has had numerous issues with coolant leaks leading to total engine failure on October 2025. The vehicle is unrepairable with the turbo being damaged and is no longer on the road
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Car locks itself into 2 Wheel Drive when conditions are "unfavorable" meaning sometimes rain and most commonly in cold weather. If anyone has driven on snowy and icy roads during the winter, they know how much of a problem this can cause in the winter. Not only has the dealership's maintenance department not been able to diagnose the issue but GM themselves are refusing to acknowledge this problem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
My 6 year old son and I were coming down the road and came up on 2 deer and I was coming up on a sharp curve and when I hit my brakes my steering wheel LOCKED up completely and the steering wheel is so bent where I tried my best to control it but I failed and we hit a tree head on. Broke my nose and my sons leg broke in between the back seat air bag and door air bag
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
My 6 year old son and I were coming down the road and came up on 2 deer and I was coming up on a sharp curve and when I hit my brakes my steering wheel LOCKED up completely and the steering wheel is so bent where I tried my best to control it but I failed and we hit a tree head on. Broke my nose and my sons leg broke in between the back seat air bag and door air bag
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I have the warning power steering on my dash and it’s getting harder to steer and turn then it quits and does it again it’s not safe at all
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety defect in my 2018 Infiniti Q50, which was manufactured prior to May 1, 2018. Despite matching the make, model, and production timeframe associated with an existing Infiniti recall for backup camera failures, my specific vehicle is not included in the recall population. The backup camera in my vehicle intermittently fails to display an image or pre... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado. The VIN plate was missing from the original location. The contact was able to locate a small VIN plate on the inside of the door. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 88,000, and at the time of obtaining a Carfax report, it was discove... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I had to take my 2018 Ford Escape in the be checked out after it started losing coolant. Come to find out there is some type of defect in the eco boost engine that causes Coolant Intrusion. Basically I’ve been told it requires an entire engine swap to fix the issue.
Incident date: May 4, 2026
My 2021 Hyundai Tucson has experienced repeated engine-related failures associated with a knock sensor (P1326) fault that causes the vehicle to enter limp mode and lose power while driving. This issue has occurred multiple times at approximately 15,000, 17,000, 41,000, and 90,000 miles and has resulted in four separate incidents requiring towing. During these events, the vehicle suddenly loses po... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The rear master cylinder brake. 1st: incident I had the bike for 1 day and when i took it out to test it, no rear brake. Was told rear master cylinder. So right off the bat the rear master cylinder was bad to begin with. 2nd: incident.(DATE OF EVENT: April 8th, 2026 but didn't get picked up for repair by dealership until April 17th, 2026) the replacement part they put on to replace the origina... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
The 1.3L turbo caused metal fragments to get into my engine which in return caused the transmission to fail. My 2021 Buick encore gx has been in the shop since early February 2026 at Garber Buick in Fort Pierce Florida. The first diagnosis was solenoids needed to be replaced, after the solenoids were replaced they told me the engine needed to be replaced, once the engine was put in Garber Buick to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
, while driving, doing a steady 25-30 mph my vehicle completed transformed behavior, literally, I could only guess the problem(s)
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
, while driving, doing a steady 25-30 mph my vehicle completed transformed behavior, literally, I could only guess the problem(s)
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
, while driving, doing a steady 25-30 mph my vehicle completed transformed behavior, literally, I could only guess the problem(s)
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
My Buick Cascada is a 2017 model and has 78,000 miles on it. There was a high pitched whistle/squeal type noise I was hearing and was told by the Buick dealership that it is an issue with the PCV valve failing. To replace this it will cost over $2,000 because of the design of where the valve is housed it is part of a much larger piece. In reading commentary on line i discovered that this is a k... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cruise control mode became inoperable, and the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, messages related to the braking system, forward collision system and the ABS were displayed. Additionally, the ABS was inoperable during inclement w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cruise control mode became inoperable, and the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, messages related to the braking system, forward collision system and the ABS were displayed. Additionally, the ABS was inoperable during inclement w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Envision. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the brakes became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to use the terrain-driving system to continue driving. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
My 2013 RHD jeep wrangler is showing codes B1B02 and B1B06. I took it to jason lewis automotive in sparta tn yesterday. The airbag light is on and the horn does not work. These are the exact same failures identified in safety recall s40. The previous owner of my car got this done in 2021 but the remedy has failed and the safety risk is back. They confirmed that the clockspring is bad and needs rep... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
While driving on the freeway for about 60 minutes, the drivers, driver side door that was locked released and opened up. The door was fully shut and no warning door ajar was lit up before driving. I grabbed the door and held it until I could exit and slow down to shut it. I tried to fully pull it shut while driving but was unsuccessful. I slowed down and had to pull the handle to release the lock ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Charger. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V198000 (Air Bags) and 21V516000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted to perform the recall repairs; however, the dealer refused to complete the recall repairs. The contact stated that the sound was audible through the window, which the contact associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V516000 ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
This vehicle has a known design flaw which causes the cylinder gasket to leak and require replacement. VW has only issued a Technical Service Notice which was no provided to owners regarding the part that needed replacement. They are correcting the problem with a differently designed part in order to try to cure the design flaw. This can cause catastrophic engine failure. It should have been a rec... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
During Autopilot, the vehicle failed to recognize the curve (or did not input enough turning to steering) and accelerated at the curve thinking it is a straight to almost have me crash into a guard rail. No symptoms. No side damage or collisions with others.
Crash
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost electric power steering assist. The electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the electric power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost electric power steering assist. The electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the electric power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the front driver’s and passenger’s side doors intermittently failed to open, causing the driver to climb over the rear seats to exit or enter the vehicle through the rear doors. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
My drive shaft snapped off of my differential while driving on I-20 at 70mph causing me to lose all ability to accelerate. My differential gears broke now my truck is unable to drive safely
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
I am reporting a recurring and dangerous failure of the infotainment system and electrical control in my vehicle. The following issues occur intermittently but frequently: Safety Camera Failure: The center display screen often goes black, causing the backup camera and side-view cameras to fail completely. This occurs while the vehicle is in reverse, creating a significant blind-spot hazard and ri... Read more