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 23, 2024
While driving in heavy rain with both windshield wipers operating properly, the right-hand windshield wiper suddenly stopped wiping, parked in normally stowed position. This incident could have been disastrous if this had been the driver’s side wiper since forward visibility would have been lost instantly, putting my safety and the safety of others at risk of major collision.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the vehicle vibrated and made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the vehicle jerked and stalled while driving. The "Check Monitoring System” message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The transmission was shifted... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
I urgently need your assistance regarding a critical and unsafe situation concerning the PCM/ECU. Recently, while driving, my car began to shudder as if it was on the verge of stalling. To add to the alarming situation, every warning light on the dashboard illuminated. The speedometer and thermostat suddenly stopped functioning, leaving me without crucial information about the vehicle's speed an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
I urgently need your assistance regarding a critical and unsafe situation concerning the PCM/ECU. Recently, while driving, my car began to shudder as if it was on the verge of stalling. To add to the alarming situation, every warning light on the dashboard illuminated. The speedometer and thermostat suddenly stopped functioning, leaving me without crucial information about the vehicle's speed an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 BMW 430I. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the light turned green; however, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, shifted to drive(D); however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact h... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
I was driving on the highway when my vehicle suddenly lost power and simultaneously the service throttle control and service electronic stability control messages came up as well as the check engine light came on. This also happened last November and the dealer said they fixed the issue (high pressure fuel pump) but it has now happened again. I was concerned for my safety as well as my passenge... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
2023 Jeep 4xe - Loss of Motive Power This is the 2nd time i have had Loss of Motive Power. Both time running Highway Speeds. 68MPH, Cruise set, (Speed Limit 70), 1,800RPM, 20 %Power. Vehicle just losses power. RPM Drops to 0 and % Power drops to 0. (Sorry not to clear on dashboard data as trying to safely get car out of heavy traffic and on side of road) Dash show something red on Plug in, Then1st... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
Intermittent MIL stating ABS and TCS service required, started has been going on since I bought the truck in January 2023 at about 50k miles (currently about 75k). Often happens when driving over any sort of uneven terrain - bumps, potholes, seams between concrete and asphalt surfaces, milled asphalt surfaces, speed bumps, debris, etc. Dealer says the ABS module needs to be replaced, and that ther... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
I got a message popup saying "Engine Maintenance Required" which is different from the oil change reminder. I cleared it thinking it was about an oil change (that isn't due yet), and it came right back. I took it to a mechanic who ran diagnostics and wasn't able to find the issue. After a few internet searches, I found that the coolant bypass valve is a known issue on certain years of this vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); 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 m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
Hi there! We received a letter in the mail about a recall on our EXTERIOR A-PILLAR TRIM which did fall off on its own and ripped of the seal that was on it by my windshield we never received a call from the dealership so they can replace this for us and because it fell off everyday that it has rain water has been getting into my car to the point that I have puddles on the floor of the vehicle wate... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
That the interior door panels had separated from the door frame causing the locking mechanisms to malfunction and the doors would not remain secured. The failure was present on the drive and passenger front door at this time. I have had this car for 5 years and it started the 2nd year that I have owned it. It is getting worse.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2024
We were traveling 70 mph down a steep incline and suddenly the vehicle, a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, displayed the warning "Pull Over - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" and immediately the vehicle lost all motive power. I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely. This is the second time this has occurred. The first time a Chrysler dealership did not fix the problem. The code pulled was P... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2024
Both rear doors will intermittently not open when unlocked from both the inside or the outside. I am unsure if this is electrical or related to the door components itself. This is a hazard because passengers have been locked in the back of the car, and needed to climb out from the front or needed me to open the door from the outside if it will open—which could be a deadly amount of extra time in... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
Cannot remove key after car is off and in parked and engine lights keeps coming on and off throwing off a code making it hard for car to start sometimes
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
Cannot remove key after car is off and in parked and engine lights keeps coming on and off throwing off a code making it hard for car to start sometimes
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The speed sensor that works with traction control /stability and abs has malfunctioned twice and has had to be replaced and 2 seperate occasions. The first time was when it only had 22,000 miles on it so that leads me to believe it is a malfunctioning part. Our abs and traction control do not operate properly and is ridiculously expensive to fix. Both lights are on.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
Suddenly have service electronic braking system and service abs system lights flashing on and off while driving regardless of weather or road conditions. Truck has 97,074 miles on it and is out of warranty. Appears to be a common problem that needs to be addressed by NHTSA where as these components are essential to a safe vehicle
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
I am getting a warning in the car that the front camera is failing. The warning includes an error that the front camera failed, and that the forward collision is unavailable. Each time this happens, this causes the cruise control, lane centering and lane departure systems to disengage, which means the vehicles hard brakes at highway speeds when this happens. It disabled forward collision detection... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear windshield failed to defrost as needed. In addition, the contact's son noticed a crack had formed in the rear windshield causing moisture to enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the windshield would be covered under warranty. The dealer replaced the defrost switch and the rear w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
Our 2024 Santa Fe while traveling 70mph on the freeway suddenly lost power and went into what Hyundai warranty described as "limp mode'. This happened 2x. The 1st time was June 26, 2024 and the 2nd time was June 29th 2024. Both times the high pressure fuel pump was diagnosed by 2 different Hyundai dealership service facilities.Both times were highly potentially serious risk situations- traveling a... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2024
1. Excessive oil consumption. The oil was completely burned out at the time of my oil change. (3,000 miles/ 3 months) 2. The Engine Oil Level Warning Light fails to illuminate if the engine oil level is too low for the vehicle to operate safety and efficiently.
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering column remained in the locked position and the steering wheel could not be turned in either direction. The contact stated that occasionally the message "Remove Key - Wait 10 Seconds" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notif... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2024
This BMW vehicle's odometer readings are inconsistent and inaccurate resulting in overage of mileage for lessee. This cars BMW tires were not verifiable to be from BMW and tires subsequently failed within 15,000 miles. No entity at BMW, not the dealership, not the sales, not BMW Financial Services or BMW of North America LLC could provide any information regarding the original tires or provide any... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a blown head gasket and coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2024
I cranked car letting it warm up, pulled out of my park onto main road, got approximately 300 yards to the red light, while sitting at the red light the cars idling went aradic, I opened the driver's side door and looked under the car, the catalytic converter was glowing red, solid red, I tried to pull into the store next to the red light, the check engine light came in and the car had no power wh... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The back of the passenger seat is shaking uncontrollably at higherspeeds. According to my local subaru dealership all 2023 outback they have with power seats are exhibiting the same issu, while the manual seats do not.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
Wiring inside headlamp is not up to Standards. For the cost the replace the headlight the wiring should not be falling apart causing shorts. One night I was driving and got a warning on my dash for my headlights and noticed it was a bit harder to see. Pulled over and noticed the headlight was out. Went to replace the bulb and noticed the wires have zero protection on them and are all touching.. th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
Hit a adult male black bear broadside on a street with no lighting. The forward collision warning never engaged, seatbelt did not lock, only the knee airbag deployed, and emergency braking never engaged.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
Hit a adult male black bear broadside on a street with no lighting. The forward collision warning never engaged, seatbelt did not lock, only the knee airbag deployed, and emergency braking never engaged.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
This is unacceptable almost every CHR I have heard of has this same problem and Toyota refused to take responsibility for it! There transmissions in these cars are horrible and need to be addressed. Every 80k the transmission need to be replaced. Us people who continuously have to buy new cars or new transmissions are suffering because Toyota refuses to fix the issue. Instead they slide it under t... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
When breaking and going over a bump on the road, the breaking ceases to work and the car lunges forward. This is a consistent issue since obtaining the car in March and has almost caused accidents.
Incident date: May 1, 2024
When breaking and going over a bump on the road, the breaking ceases to work and the car lunges forward. This is a consistent issue since obtaining the car in March and has almost caused accidents.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2022
On 7/4/2024 at approximately 6pm, I disconnected my 2023 VW ID4 from an electrical charging station. I moved my vehicle 2 blocks away to an apartment building parking lot, which I had parked in previously. While pulling into the parking spot, I was coming to a complete stop, perhaps going 1-2 miles per hour and as I came to a stop, the car accelerated out of nowhere and crashed into a few small ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The Hvac Temperature Control Unit has faulty wiring and plastic dials to where the wiring over heats and melts the Hvac control unit . Multiple complaints on this and nothing has been done . My wiring has melted completely and is a FIRE HAZARD
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS TO FIRST GEAR FROM ANY GEAR AT ANYTIME. I have to stop and restart truck (VAN). Sometimes it will have to sit for several days before it works again. This is a ford transit f250 van with the 6 speed automatic transmission. This started around 30,000 miles. 2015 FORD TK EPO. I bought this brand new. This happens a lot, Thanks
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
Every time I start or stop my vehicle I get a notification that shows Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center. And my console has a hazard warning that shows: Secure vehicle against rolling. This happens every time, even if the car is parked on a completely flat surface in no danger whatsoever of rolling. I've read SEVERAL X1 owners get this message ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
The driver side seatbelt is buckled and will release without the release button being pressed. This has happened on several occasions. When a driver can not count on the support and protection of their seatbelt their life is at greater risk every time they get behind the wheel.
Incident date: Jul 16, 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 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 stated that while driving approximate... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The O ring on the transmission cooler lines failed causing a loss of transmission fluid. This was hollered by a failure of the Lead Frame. There was a recall issued for the 2009 - 2014 model years for this problem. It affects the 6R80 transmission and the 2015 model year has the same transmission
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to close the front driver’s side door, the door failed to close securely. Additionally, the contact stated that the door ajar warning light illuminated would illuminate with the door properly closed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the electronic rear tailgate door erroneously unlatched and opened. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
I WAS ON THE CALIFORNIA FREEWAY I-60 HEADING EAST NEAR CHINO SECTION ON A STEADY 65 MPH IN THE CARPOOL LANE, ENGINE SUDDENLY LOSS POWER AND DROPPING SPEED DRAMATICALLY. I WAS IMMEDIATELY SET THE EMERGENCY FLASH LIGHT AND MOVED TO LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY (NO WAY TO MOVE TO RIGHT SIDE AS TRAFFIC ON I-60 IS HUGE). MOTORCYCLE DASH HAS WARNING OF : "FAULT IN THE ENGINE CONTROL. ONWARD JOURNEY POSSIBL... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
Driving 45 down a city street and my 2023 Wagoneer II Carbide started to overheat and then the engine just stopped running. I was able to get the car out of traffic. Dash was saying the engine oil level was low, but when checking the menu for oil, it showed everything was fine. The car cooled down, and we tried to drive it again and it died again 3 times on the way to the dealership. I was told it... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 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 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 stated while driving approximately 65 MPH... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
transmission solenoid malfunction (p0757). car came to an abrupt stop in the middle of a speeding boulevard for no external reason at all. there was no prior impact or damage. i almost got rear-ended and t-boned ten times. considering the amount of complaints on this ford transmission 10R80, i firmly believe this transmission needs to be recalled and our repair/damage expenses reimbursed. Thank y... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
THE CENTRAL ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH SCREEN /DISPLAY HAS NOT BEEN WORKING AT ALL. CARPLAY AND CHARGING DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AS DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. SPEAKER SETTINGS AS WELL AS GAS MILEAGE INFO CAN NOT BE ACCESSED AS IT DISPLAYS NOT WORKING OR NOT RESPONSIVE. I TRIEDTO CHECK WITH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HERE IN LOUISIANA AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT IS OUTSIDE WARRANTY AND HAVE TO PAY 1500 DOLLARS TO ... Read more