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: Jul 30, 2024
Everything comes on my dashboard it doesn't let me go in fast than 45 or it will shut off when I am driving and it doesn't let me drive uphill it starts to slow down and stop but if I turn it off and back on it will start off going great and then it will stop working again I have taken it in to hoada and it is gotten me no were please help me
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
Everything comes on my dashboard it doesn't let me go in fast than 45 or it will shut off when I am driving and it doesn't let me drive uphill it starts to slow down and stop but if I turn it off and back on it will start off going great and then it will stop working again I have taken it in to hoada and it is gotten me no were please help me
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disc... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2024
I purchased my vehicle October2023. May 23,2024, at 1:34 pm, my vehicle broke down due to a message on my dashboard stating “Drivetrain malfunction”. I was on the highway with no use of my gas pedal, which resulted in me rolling back all while being 5 months pregnant. June 18,2024, at 3:04pm ,my vehicle broke down again due to the same message that previously popped up “Drivetrain malfuncti... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke coming from under ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approx... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The truck has been having difficulty shifting the transmission at times, major delay in throttle when applying the gas pedal at a stop sign or at a stop light. This can be a major accident waiting to happen because that delay may and can cause an accident, injury, and/or death.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
Water leaks into spark plug wells causing vehicle to lose power no cover is over the sparkplugs
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
The electronic parking brake of my vehicle with a manual transmission released automatically simply because the clutch pedal was depressed and released. I did not select a gear, press the brake pedal, or press the accelerator pedal. The parking brake should not be releasing simply by actuating the clutch. There is nothing to stop the vehicle from rolling. This behavior is repeatable and has happe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
The vacuum pump locked up and sheered off the end of the cam shaft and made the cam skip timing and destroyed the motor. While driving no check engine likes till after i lost power. Luckly i was able to roll to a stop The pumps have been a problem the car is only 4yrs old and has 71000 miles.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
SUV gets a slow down warning and it stops shuts off , it’s happened several times now I’m scared!!you wait few minutes it turns back on , mechanic said this a complain about this vehicle all the time , it has not been repaired I’m disabled with no money , I was on the highway and thank God I was on the slow lane if not I would have been killed by an eighteen wheeler. GMC is waiting for some... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
After driving car all day off and on, it suddenly went into limp mode. Multiple misfires. Service traction t control and service stabilitrak warnings. Engine light flashing. Car had oil. Replaced oil pressure sensor. Replaced spark plugs. Wires. And coils. Will not clear misfire and won’t go out of limp mode. $7500 fix. This is ridiculous. I have heard of 15 others with the same issue.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Auto Start/Stop. Car stopped and would not re-start while in an intersection. Restarted manually after a few minutes.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
Code P052E71 Saying the Crankcase is bad. Seems to be an issue with MB.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake warning light illuminated. The contact replaced the sensor at the residence; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda GL1800 Motorcycle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V113000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 failure. VIN ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
My driver’s side door handle has broken. I have the broken handle if you need it. It’s a safety issue because it delays entering the car from the driver’s side, which could endanger an owner or a passenger who needs to get inside the vehicle. Apparently, this is a known problem in CR-Zs and is often blamed on the car being in a hot climate (spoiler alert: It’s getting hotter these days). M... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the contact observed a loud sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the steering wheel then pulled to the right. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was awaiting a diagnostic test. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2024
Check engine light cam on then a message "Stop safely Vehicle will shut off soon" This is related to recall 23V-010
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at speeds of 51 MPH or exceeding that speed, the vehicle experienced the "Death Wobble". The failure also occurred while driving over rough road surfaces. The contact stated that during the failure, the “Traction Control Loss” warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The dealer confirmed that t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Jeep was parked. Charging. Neighbors ran over to tell us they saw it smoking. Electric battery ignited. Jeep caught on fire. Took 3 hours to get jeep cooled enough to tow it away. Electric battery was still at 180° when towed.
Fire
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
On [XXX] at approximately 5:30p, I was driving normal highway speed when I saw what I thought was exhaust trailing behind. There were NO dash warning lights, engine temperature showing normal range, car was performing normally. I pulled over to shoulder, turned off car, released the hood latch. My husband tried to open hood but it was too hot. We then realized it was smoke coming from under hood, ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The car does not have pickup when attempting to accelerate. Driver must drop the gear down to try and force acceleration. Vehicle was taken to dealership and dealer wanted to charge to diagnose the problem. When it was stated that symptoms mimic those outlined in recall, dealer stated they still need to diagnose to see if the repair is needed. After checking dealer claims debris was blocking the p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The car does not have pickup when attempting to accelerate. Driver must drop the gear down to try and force acceleration. Vehicle was taken to dealership and dealer wanted to charge to diagnose the problem. When it was stated that symptoms mimic those outlined in recall, dealer stated they still need to diagnose to see if the repair is needed. After checking dealer claims debris was blocking the p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the rear subframe was severely rusted with holes in the subframe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Car experiences intermittent electrical system failure. Upon failure, drivers will experiance random and rapid clicking, clanking, and electrical systems discharging like lights, screens, and alarm. After restarting the car, users will find, all warning lights displayed with a few blinking: transmission, parking brake, traction control, a few more. Headlights will randomly turn on, as well as the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Car experiences intermittent electrical system failure. Upon failure, drivers will experiance random and rapid clicking, clanking, and electrical systems discharging like lights, screens, and alarm. After restarting the car, users will find, all warning lights displayed with a few blinking: transmission, parking brake, traction control, a few more. Headlights will randomly turn on, as well as the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
We receive a ABS/ECS, electronic brake control warning intermittently. This also makes the cruise control shutoff. We had the ABS control module replaced once at roughly 12000 miles under warranty but it now is giving the same warnings and the truck currently has 22000 miles on it. My dealer stated this was a known issue and stated it’s fairly common on my model truck
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
Issue is with the rear hatch (trunk) latching mechanism. The rear trunk latch has partially disengaged but will not completely release and open the trunk. This is a safety concern because the emergency release inside of the trunk (pull cable) does not fully release the trunk either. If a child or person were to be in the trunk they could not escape either from inside the trunk (emergency latch) or... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2024
My 2019 Pacifica Hybrid started showing a message around 07/19 “Service Charing Station” followed by Service Park brakes, Service Parking system and was not able to start or control anything in the car. After 15 to 30 minutes it started working and no errors. On Friday, 07/26, car stopped all of a sudden (luckily my family was in the parking lot) and showed a different message “Stop Safely. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
Brake Booster vacuum pump failed and pieces broke off in the engine.. it failed in the middle of driving with my [XXX] daughter.. the brakes padel was hard and was hard to stop.. could have caused a real bad accident even caused death if happened while driving.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jul 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. Once the warning light was illuminated, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the mechanic linked the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2024
Axles were supposedly installed backwards. Suspension is not installed square under the frame and rv bounces violently behind truck. Storage doors have come open while in transit.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
Traveling about 35mph with no cars around, the brakes applied, no throttle response, and little steering. Warning lights illuminated and couldn't move car until turned off ignition and restarted. Dealer showed no codes and shows no record of it occurring. This symptom mirrors a recall on last years model, but not yet on 2024's. BMW says there's nothing more they can do but we are afraid to dri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the rear end of the vehicle was swaying from side to side and was very unstable. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear subframe had sustained severe rusting and corrosion, and there were holes present in the sub frame. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V404000 (Electrical System) and 24V405000 (Electrical System) and 24V499000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the messages "Brake System Malfunction", "Charge Port Door Open" and other unknown messages were displayed. A... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
There is an issue with the X1 series of BMWs where the system shuts down after a cold start. This car displays alerts on the dashboard, and BMW service has confirmed that there are two firmware updates available to fix the issues. However, instead of providing the updates at no charge, they are asking for almost $1,000 for the firmware update. Forum discussions indicate that this issue causes the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
At 54,000 miles on my car my car was shaking and not wanting to go past 20miles an hour. My check engine light came on. Safety was at risk, there was no warning that my car was having trouble. It was driving fine one minute and ttem all of a sudden check engine light came on. Feel that the cvt engines in Nissan are not safe
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
At 54,000 miles on my car my car was shaking and not wanting to go past 20miles an hour. My check engine light came on. Safety was at risk, there was no warning that my car was having trouble. It was driving fine one minute and ttem all of a sudden check engine light came on. Feel that the cvt engines in Nissan are not safe
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the rain, the windshield wipers were activated but failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove to the residence at 30 MPH, while the windshield wipers remained inoperable. The contact replaced the windshield wiper fuse after reading the Owner's Manual; however, the failure pers... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Ford F-150. The contact stated while making a right turn from a complete stop at 7-10 MPH, the vehicle shuddered significantly. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driveline assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notifie... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 800 Motorcycle. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlight failed to provide adequate illumination, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,150.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
At 76,000 miles, the engine started to misfire and smoke while driving. Loud pop heard. Took it in and dealership said it was a known engine problem with this 3.6 liter engine on cylinder #5 due to the lack of heat dissipation in the rear of the engine compartment. Thank goodness we had just started the car when we heard the pop. The service engine light cam on immediately after the rough start an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
My car spontaneously started throwing out Service AdvanceTrac, PowerTrain Malfunction, AWD Fault, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, and Hill Start Assist warnings. Those all cleared themselves, but the AWD Fault remained. I took it to my local Ford dealer, who replaced the AWD module the same day. The very next day my check engine light came on with the code for the Catalytic Converter and the P... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
I am experiencing long brake pedal travel similar to recall 19S54, yet my car has not been recalled.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2024
Torque converter malfunction confirmed through transmission shop. When problem initially presented it would intermittenly lag when pressing the accelerator. That turned into a constant jerk/shudder during driving with it being severely pronounced during any kind of acceleration in any gear. The problem only got worse and did so quickly. On several occasions I experienced enough lag that I was alm... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
I have been hearing a grinding noise coming from my car for a few months. I was having another service on my car and tire replacement at an independent provider and asked them to diagnosing the noise. After completing their diagnosis they determined I need my PTU replaced. "Diagnoses grinding noise coming from PTU. Needs PTU replaced." There are current PTU recalls on other Jeep Cherokees year... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
My 2012 Ford Fusion purchased March 3rd 2024 would sometimes display "Power Steering Assist Fault", shutting off the car and restarting made it stop, until 2 days ago. Now it is displaying "Power Steering Assist Fault" and shutting it off and restarting is not fixing it. Steering is incredibly hard to do. I called Ford two days ago and they told me that the recall had already been repaired, I aske... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2024
When putting my vehicle in park to turn off the car, a warning light comes on to put vehicle into park. The vehicle is already in park and am unable to turn off the vehicle. In order to turn off the engine I must repeatedly turn it on and off and hit the gear shifter multiple times. This problem is becoming more and more frequent. I see numerous other 2018 Malibus in the complaint section report... Read more