NHTSA Complaint #11626175 — 2021 BUICK ENCORE GX

The contact's girlfriend owned a 2021 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at 20 MPH, an abnormal, snapping sound emitted from the vehicle as the steering wheel independently shifted to the right and crashed into two parked vehicles. The contact stated that the suspension warning light appeared on the instrument panel after the failure and later discovered that the vehicle's suspension had detached. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's girlfriend was taken to the hospital where she was treated for a laceration on her left forearm which required nine stitches. She also suffered severe bruising to both arms, elbows, and hips. No other injuries were reported. A police report was filed. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V633000 (Suspension). The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and later to an independent body shop. The insurance company later deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; the contact was given a case number and an investigation into the failure has been started. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.