Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 40,555 complaints for BMW
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Filing a complaint about lack of remedy for NHTSA Recall Number 25V-514, manufacture recall number D019. I planned to put this car on Turo to rent, and I cannot list it if it has an active recall. It’s a financial strain for me, and I would greatly appreciate a fix.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the 6.2-liter gasoline engine was on a national back orde... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
At around 9000 miles, the dealership had to replace the front rotors and brakes due to rotors cracking and warping. Now at 22,000 miles I’m having the same issue and I only do normal driving. There is obviously something wrong with the breaking system in the front of this vehicle. when I press the brakes, the steering wheel shakes.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I was driving and I got check engine light and all safety features disabled while I was in the freeway, luckily I was able to drive to nearby Subaru dealer for inspection and I found out that there was a recall on the engine for this vehicle and when I contacted the manufacturer they asked me to take it for diagnostics and I did that at a Subaru retailer, but the case manager told me that this rec... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V034000 (Air Bags) and 25V607000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the letter for the seat belt recall anticipated a fix by February 2026. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not informed of the issu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the windshield wiper motor failed to function as intended and prevented the windshield wipers from operating properly. The local dealer w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
Air conditioning has never worked. It was purchased in the winter. As weather warmed, we noticed the air conditioning was never cold. Dropped it off at the dealership. Their first comment before looking at the vehicle was that a rock probably hit it and broke the air conditioning. After inspection they said it was a rock so it isn’t a warranty item. Seems suspicious. Possibly warranty fraud to t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
Water began accumulating in the front footwell area of the vehicle, resulting in a soaked carpet and persistent musty odor. The condition developed during normal operation of the air conditioning system, without any external water intrusion (no flooding or open windows). The issue appears to be caused by a failure of the A/C condensate drain system, which is not properly draining water outside th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
Water began accumulating in the front footwell area of the vehicle, resulting in a soaked carpet and persistent musty odor. The condition developed during normal operation of the air conditioning system, without any external water intrusion (no flooding or open windows). The issue appears to be caused by a failure of the A/C condensate drain system, which is not properly draining water outside th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
my rear view camera went out and it is a $2,000 fix. can this please be a recall? i know many others this has happened to as well.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Year: 2022 Make: Chevrolet Model: Silverado 1500 Engine: 2.7L TurboMax (L3B) VIN: [XXX] Mileage at Failure: 119,139 Description of Problem: 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2.7L L3B TurboMax engine is completely inoperable due to Cylinder 4 exhaust roller follower failure causing exhaust camshaft failure and bent exhaust valves. Vehicle shakes severely, will not accelerate, check engine light on, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The bearing failure from the metal debris had been progressing silently for a long time. You can’t feel or hear it happening gradually. Then at some point the damage crosses a threshold where: ∙The oil can no longer circulate properly ∙The crankshaft bearings completely fail ∙Internal metal parts make contact with each other ∙Everything locks up instantly
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The infotainment screen in my 2021 Jeep Compass has developed a display failure where the screen is glitching and unusable. The issue persists after restarting the vehicle and appears to be a hardware malfunction. This affects visibility of navigation, backup camera, and vehicle settings, which creates a potential safety concern while driving.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic failure involving the engine and turbocharger, resulting in an immediate loss of power and the vehicle becoming disabled in an active roadway. The failure occurred without warning and required a response from the San Diego Police Department due to the vehicle being immobilized in traffic. This created a hazardous situation for the drive... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic failure involving the engine and turbocharger, resulting in an immediate loss of power and the vehicle becoming disabled in an active roadway. The failure occurred without warning and required a response from the San Diego Police Department due to the vehicle being immobilized in traffic. This created a hazardous situation for the drive... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The problem first appeared after I bought my car to the dealership to replace an amplifier. Since then, my car has been there twice and they have not been able to identify the problem. I’m going back-and-forth with the dealership and hyundai corporation. after numerous incidents with my other vehicles, I no longer trust this place to repair and at this time it’s a safety issue while I’m dri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Although the carfax states the EGR Cooler has already been serviced and there are no active recalls at this time, EGR Cooler failure has been determined by an independent service center. The vehicle is available for inspection. A potential fire from the EGR Cooler failure puts the driver's life and any passenger's lives at risk. The symptoms are substantial coolant loss with absence of leakage cau... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
On one occasion, the car automatically applied the breaks and parked itself while driving on a main road. On another occasion, while parking the car at the home it accelerated aggressively and almost crashed into the garage- driver lost complete control of the car. On a separate occasion, the gauge console (screen behind the steering wheel) became morphed and could not show the MPH- an electri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
On one occasion, the car automatically applied the breaks and parked itself while driving on a main road. On another occasion, while parking the car at the home it accelerated aggressively and almost crashed into the garage- driver lost complete control of the car. On a separate occasion, the gauge console (screen behind the steering wheel) became morphed and could not show the MPH- an electri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact’s son stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the brake pedal depressed with no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son stated that the ABS braking system failed, and the brake pedal did not function when attempting to stop the vehicle. As a result of the failure, the contact’s son collided with the highway pavement. No injuries were s... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine warning light was illuminated when the oil level was extremely low. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with TSB: 19-2365 (Excessive Oil Consumption). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was contacted and suggested a diagno... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the vision of the driver, preventing the driver... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
Engine failed suddenly while driving on a highway. While driving at highway speed, warning lights and messages appeared indicating oil pressure is low and to turn off the engine immediately. The vehicle was towed to the shop where it was discovered that the oil pump, which was made out of plastic, had suffered a catastrophic failure. Was told if the engine continued running any longer it would hav... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
In 2026, a 2020 BMW X2 was involved in a 40-50 mph, 60-80 degree driver-side impact. The vehicle rotated 40-80 degrees to the right and struck a curb with enough force to shear both front axles and cause multiple tire explosions. Despite this catastrophic structural failure and extreme G-forces, the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) failed completely: no front, side, or curtain airbags deployed,... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Car spontaneously caught on fire. Total loss. Drove car home from haircut appointment 5 to 10 minutes away. Parked car as normal and went inside. Within approximately 5 minutes loud knock on door “Your car is on fire!” I came out of my home and saw my car in driveway with fire erupting from engine area onto windshield, and through hole in middle of hood. Took a few seconds of video, then ran... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Car spontaneously caught on fire. Total loss. Drove car home from haircut appointment 5 to 10 minutes away. Parked car as normal and went inside. Within approximately 5 minutes loud knock on door “Your car is on fire!” I came out of my home and saw my car in driveway with fire erupting from engine area onto windshield, and through hole in middle of hood. Took a few seconds of video, then ran... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Car spontaneously caught on fire. Total loss. Drove car home from haircut appointment 5 to 10 minutes away. Parked car as normal and went inside. Within approximately 5 minutes loud knock on door “Your car is on fire!” I came out of my home and saw my car in driveway with fire erupting from engine area onto windshield, and through hole in middle of hood. Took a few seconds of video, then ran... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
So, the N20 2.0L motors are known to have prematurely failing plastic chain guides and a weak hydraulic tensioner, leading to whine, rattles, and potential engine failure. BMW improved the issue in the 2015 or newer models which have more robust timing chain guides and Tensioners. The fix involves replacing the entire timing chain assembly (guides, chain, tensioner) with updated, more durable pa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
I have a 2021 BMW 530i. VIN [XXX] . I brought my vehicle to Pompano Beach BMW and Coconut Creek BMW in Florida. They said both my motor mounts have collapsed. I have discussed the matter with other experts and mechanics, and been told the failure of motor mounts is a serious safety issue and vehicle defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
2009 BMW 3 Series with factory optioned Sport Steering wheel has no recalls, but still has a 2017 production Takata PSDI-5 airbag with the yellow sticker. This airbag was replaced during the interim period, before the revised design was released. It was manufactured in 2017, but used the same design as the original. This airbag is now 9 years old, and I fear it has the same shrapnel risk as the or... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
2009 BMW 3 Series with factory optioned Sport Steering wheel has no recalls, but still has a 2017 production Takata PSDI-5 airbag with the yellow sticker. This airbag was replaced during the interim period, before the revised design was released. It was manufactured in 2017, but used the same design as the original. This airbag is now 9 years old, and I fear it has the same shrapnel risk as the or... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
What You’re Noticing (and Why It Matters) 1. Engine Mounts Wearing Out Engine mounts can wear over time, but premature failure (early loosening, vibration, clunking) can point to: Defective parts Poor design for that model year This is a common complaint in some BMW models, especially as mileage increases. 2. Brake System & Sensor Issues Warning lights staying on even after replacing senso... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
What You’re Noticing (and Why It Matters) 1. Engine Mounts Wearing Out Engine mounts can wear over time, but premature failure (early loosening, vibration, clunking) can point to: Defective parts Poor design for that model year This is a common complaint in some BMW models, especially as mileage increases. 2. Brake System & Sensor Issues Warning lights staying on even after replacing senso... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
What You’re Noticing (and Why It Matters) 1. Engine Mounts Wearing Out Engine mounts can wear over time, but premature failure (early loosening, vibration, clunking) can point to: Defective parts Poor design for that model year This is a common complaint in some BMW models, especially as mileage increases. 2. Brake System & Sensor Issues Warning lights staying on even after replacing senso... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 BMW 528XI. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "Drivetrain Malfunction - Drive Moderately" and "Contact the Service Center" were displayed. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was purchased; however, the dealer refused to honor the warranty and refused to repair the veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
The fuel system has failed. The car shut off in the Baltimore harbor tunnel twice completely stopping traffic and creating a very hazard situation. One of those two times the semi truck behind me had to slam its brakes. When the car shuts off you must come to a complete stop and turn the car completely off. After restarting the car is in limp mode with reduced power. The incident has happened abo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Vehicle Symptom: The vehicle exhibits a persistent rough idle and engine hesitation specifically when at operating temperature. This issue is most prevalent during "Auto Start/Stop" transitions and while idling in heavy traffic. The engine feels as though it may stall, creating a significant safety concern regarding predictable acceleration and vehicle control in live traffic. Safety Risk: The ins... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 BMW 740LI. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the Lane Departure feature malfunctioned on several occasions, causing the vehicle to be pulled into another lane or into the opposite direction. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the KAFAS camera and the windshield n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 530I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Oil Filter Housing failed causing immediate loss coolant rendering the vehicle inoperative.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I hear a crackling or a popping sound coming from the windshield area as I’m driving. It is irregular and going over bumps seems to trigger it but yesterday as I was driving on a smooth highway with no vehicles nearby I heard a deafeningly loud crack sound. Then I noticed a tiny crack in the windshield. The sound was so loud that I considered it a potential accident inducing distraction as it re... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving my 2008 BMW X3, which had an active safety recall for the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve heater (Recall Campaign No. 22V-119). This recall identifies a risk of short circuiting, overheating, and potential fire. On February 27, 2026, I contacted BMW after discovering multiple active recalls on my vehicle. I specifically asked whether the vehicle ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving my 2008 BMW X3, which had an active safety recall for the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve heater (Recall Campaign No. 22V-119). This recall identifies a risk of short circuiting, overheating, and potential fire. On February 27, 2026, I contacted BMW after discovering multiple active recalls on my vehicle. I specifically asked whether the vehicle ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving my 2008 BMW X3, which had an active safety recall for the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve heater (Recall Campaign No. 22V-119). This recall identifies a risk of short circuiting, overheating, and potential fire. On February 27, 2026, I contacted BMW after discovering multiple active recalls on my vehicle. I specifically asked whether the vehicle ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I am reporting a safety concern involving BMW vehicles equipped with the B58 Technical Update (B58TU) engine, commonly found in model years 2019–2021. These vehicles utilize a variable-displacement engine oil pump containing an internal thermoplastic adjusting component responsible for regulating oil pressure. Field failures are increasingly being reported in which this internal component fract... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
On December 27, 2025, while using the vehicle’s Automated Park Assistant feature to reverse into my assigned parking space in my enclosed residential garage, my 2025 BMW X6 failed to detect a fixed concrete structural column directly in its path. Rather than braking or alerting me (the driver) to the obstacle, the vehicle accelerated into the column, causing rear bumper damage. No warning was is... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
On December 27, 2025, while using the vehicle’s Automated Park Assistant feature to reverse into my assigned parking space in my enclosed residential garage, my 2025 BMW X6 failed to detect a fixed concrete structural column directly in its path. Rather than braking or alerting me (the driver) to the obstacle, the vehicle accelerated into the column, causing rear bumper damage. No warning was is... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
On December 27, 2025, while using the vehicle’s Automated Park Assistant feature to reverse into my assigned parking space in my enclosed residential garage, my 2025 BMW X6 failed to detect a fixed concrete structural column directly in its path. Rather than braking or alerting me (the driver) to the obstacle, the vehicle accelerated into the column, causing rear bumper damage. No warning was is... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
My vehicle is subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA #25V-636) issued in September 2025 involving the engine starter. As of today, no remedy has been provided by the manufacturer. Due to the safety risk associated with this recall, I do not feel safe operating the vehicle and have been forced to keep it parked and unused for an extended period of time. This has caused significant financial ha... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
My vehicle is subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA #25V-636) issued in September 2025 involving the engine starter. As of today, no remedy has been provided by the manufacturer. Due to the safety risk associated with this recall, I do not feel safe operating the vehicle and have been forced to keep it parked and unused for an extended period of time. This has caused significant financial ha... Read more